Shadowchasers: The Eldritch
by Digidramon
Summary: Set in the Shadowchasers universe made by Cyber Commander. In the original homeland of the Shadowchasers, one of their number is called to a strange case. As what seemed straightforward rapidly escalates into a confrontation with the unknown, can she and her allies triumph?
1. Duel 1: Sixth Sense

So, it's been quite a while since I wrote any Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction (and even longer since I did anything with the Shadowchasers mythos). If anyone's wondering what's happening to Shrouded World, I feel that I've moved beyond it as a writer and that if I were to go back now, I'd find it hard to reconcile all the ways I've changed with what I wrote back then, so I'm going to leave it as it is.

Leaving behind my past work, this fic is intended to fit into the Shadowchasers timeline several months after the conclusion of Cyber Commander's Shadowchasers: Ascension. It will use the January 2014 Forbidden/Limited list for the TCG, but will not incorporate the new gameplay rules from the OCG (specifically the rules in which the first turn player does not draw on their first turn, and that both players can have an active Field Spell at once). I'm not going to use Pendulum Monsters either, though I may use cards from the Arc-V era if they don't involve the Pendulum mechanic (for instance, Dragonprincess Saphira).

This fic will use the sub terminology, so D-Wheel rather than Duel Runner, Riding Duel rather than Turbo Duel, and such. However, I will primarily use the TCG names for cards, unless I vastly prefer an OCG name.

I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise, it is the property of Konami. I also do not own the Shadowchasers mythos as a concept, that right belongs to Cyber Commander, as does thanks for letting me add a story to that mythos. And finally, thanks to Scarlet Weather for being my beta for this fic.

Now that the admin is finished, let's begin.

Duel 1: Sixth Sense

_The motto of the Shadowchasers says that ignorance is not bliss and that knowledge is not power. Thinking about it, I know men and women who would disagree with the first clause. Some who are aware of the world in which the Shadowchasers exist would rather not know, for as much as the world of Shadowkind is wonderful, it can also be a place of fear, dread and terror. While those who compose the ranks of the Shadowchasers willingly face that world, there are those who would rather forget. _

_There are things even the Shadowchasers do not know, I am sure. And I am sure of that because there was a time when I knew something they did not. _

_I am one of those who would disagree with the first clause of the Shadowchaser motto. If I could return to my ignorance, I know my sleep would be more peaceful. But I cannot forget. I cannot forgive. _

_I also disagree with the second clause of the motto. Knowledge can be very powerful indeed. The right piece of knowledge can destroy a man. The right secret at the right time can topple an empire. A man who knows many things can be a man of great power and influence. Knowledge can make one feared as a danger to even the greatest men. _

_If I disagree with the Shadowchaser motto, why do I work with them now? I'm sure that's what some of you will want to know. This is the story of how I came to be who I am today. When I look back on these events, I'm sure that they don't cast me in the best light. But I will not whitewash the part I played. In the end, the truth is what matters. _

_This is the story of the events which led me to become a Shadowchaser. And it begins in a place you may not expect._

S:TE

The city of Bath, the United Kingdom.

Police sergeant Alex Cox sighed as yet another group of drunken revellers jeered and laughed at the passing police car in which he sat. He knew that his partner would see only humans, but to his Aware eyes, several of the revellers were horned and had hooves instead of feet. Satyrs. Trust them to let a party get out of hand.

Cox was in his early forties, wearing his uniform with the air of a man who had worn it for a very long time and seen much in that time. His black hair was beginning to become speckled with strands of grey, and the cards in the Duel Disk on his arm were showing signs of wear.

"Kids," his partner muttered. "Is that all we're here for?"

Out of the other man's sight, Cox rolled his eyes. Rookies. The man at his side was barely more than an adolescent, early twenties at most, youthful and eager to deliver justice.

He had picked the wrong city, the sergeant reflected wearily. Even among the Shadowkind only he could see, there was usually peace here. All that the younger officer would usually see was this: students on nights out who'd had far too much to drink and weren't afraid to show it.

He sighed. Kids. Had he really been like that once?

"You tired?" his partner asked. Cox looked at his name tag. Luke Bennett, he read.

"No, Bennett," he answered. "Just thinking. You'll get to do a lot of that, this beat is dead most nights. Just the odd drunk."

Bennett looked aside. "And here I thought I'd be chasing down rogue D-Wheelers."

"You going for the Special Pursuit Unit?" Cox asked.

"Yeah... I always thought it'd be cool, y'know? I watched Duel Chasers. Seeing those guys in action was awesome, I wanted to do that. But then I got here and it turns out I have to sit through two years of standard duty before I can even start the training. And all the paperwork!"

Cox nodded. "They're strict about it, probably because every rookie wants to be in Special Pursuit right off the bat. And the paperwork never really goes away."

"Did you ever apply for that?" his partner asked.

"What, Special Pursuit? No, I never really got in on the whole D-Wheeler craze," he replied. "Before my time, I suppose. When I was your age, those things were barely even in development, I think."

"Wow, I've known D-Wheels all my life," Bennett mused. "It's weird to imagine a world without them."

"Hard to imagine a world without Duel Monsters, but go back sixty years and we didn't have that either," Cox replied, glancing down at his deck. "In any case, if you want to be part of Special Pursuit, work at it, Bennett."

"Thanks," the younger officer smiled, turning the car into a side street. They passed more revellers and Cox cast a glance over them, picking out two more satyrs, a dwarf and an orc among them, the latter two at opposite ends of the group. Even having seen Shadows his whole life, it was still sometimes a surprise to see them so easily mingling with unaware humans.

The radio at his lapel hissed into life and Cox answered it. "Cox here. What is it?"

"_We have a report of an assault just off of St James Parade," _the officer on the other end answered. _"Victim is a student, male, nineteen. No one got a clear look at the attacker, he was scared off when members of the public intervened."_

Cox frowned. "I hear you. We'll go and check it out." He turned to Bennett. "Get us over to St James Parade. We have an assault."

Bennett almost smiled at the prospect of some action, before a look from the older officer stopped him. "Right." He whirled the car around in a move almost certainly taken from an episode of Duel Chasers, bringing the police car's sirens into life as he sent them racing down the street.

Cox sighed. Rookies.

S:TE

The street they ended up parked along was one of the major roads of the city centre. Looking up it as he got out of the car, Cox could see an Odeon a few buildings up, and on the other side of the road was a 24-hour convenience store of some sort. People bustled past, stopping to gawk at the young man who sat with his back to a building, a cut on his forehead being attended to by a paramedic.

Cox walked over, donning his police cap as he did so. His notebook and pen were in his hands, and he noticed Bennett looking at the instruments. He held up the notebook. "Watch me, Bennett. This is your most important tool. Part of being a good officer is making sure to make a note of _everything _which might be important."

Bennett nodded, though he was clearly still incredulous.

Leaving his partner trailing behind him, Cox knelt down beside the young man. He was nineteen, as the report had said, and looked his age. He was clean-shaven and this close, his aftershave was easy to detect, especially since it was overpowering. His clothes were the sort of thing one might call casually formal,a red and black checked shirt and dark jeans. His brown hair had clearly been combed at some point in the night, then messed up by the wind or something else. From his attire and that aftershave, it was clear that he had been with female company at some point in the evening.

The student's eyes caught his gaze. He could tell that the young man was shocked, no surprise given he had been assaulted just five minutes previously. But there was something more there. Cox couldn't quite tell what, but something about the look of utter shock and disbelief in the boy's eyes unsettled him. And just from looking, he could tell that the young man was as aware of the Shadowkind in the crowds as he was.

"Is he drunk?" Cox sighed, realising that more onlookers were crowding in.

"Did he hit his head?"

"Is he gonna puke?"

"_Teenagers_," the officer muttered under his breath. "Bennett, get us some room, please."

"Right," the younger man said, turning to move the crowd back. Cox turned his attention back to the young man, who was now looking up at him.

"Hello, I'm Officer Cox," he said, trying his best to smile. "What's your name?"

"Ryan... Ryan Wilson," the young man replied.

Cox took a look at the cut on Ryan's forehead as the paramedic turned aside for a moment. Despite what the crowd had speculated, this was not a wound inflicted by hitting one's head. As much as he'd have liked to forget, he had seen similar wounds before.

This had been inflicted by a claw of some sort.

He frowned. "I'm going to need to ask you a few questions, Ryan. If you need more time to recover, just say now and I can do that."

"No, it's okay, officer," Ryan said quietly.

"Okay, good," Cox nodded. "Can you describe the person who attacked you?"

Ryan immediately looked away. "This is going to sound crazy."

"You'd be surprised by the things I hear, Ryan. Don't worry, just say it."

"I'm not drunk, believe me."

"I think I'd know if you were," the officer replied. "Really, don't worry. I'm not going to laugh at you. I'm taking this seriously."

"Okay," Ryan nodded, looking reassured. "The guy who attacked me... I thought he was just a tramp or something. His stuff looked like he'd been sleeping rough. But then he just came at me for no reason and I got a look at his face and..."

"Go on," Cox immediately encouraged.

Ryan looked right into the officer's eyes and he could see how scared the young man was. He had never seen such fear and disbelief before, and it unsettled him to the core. In his years in the police, Cox had dealt with many things. He had taken part in drugs busts and almost been killed by a maniac with a knife. He had once engaged in a tense negotiation with a man threatening to throw himself and a hostage off the edge of a multi-storey car park. And though he could never tell any of his fellow officers, he had once come face-to-face with a transformed werewolf and lived to tell the tale.

But he had never seen anything more unsettling than Ryan's look of fear.

"He looked like me," Ryan whispered. "I mean, it was mad, but he did look like me. I'm not drunk, I'm not mad, please believe me."

Cox put down his notebook and rested a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Son, in all my years, I've had to deal with some weird things. Some of it, you wouldn't even believe. Trust me. I believe what you're telling me. And I'm taking this very seriously. Is there anything else about your attacker I should know? How did he do that to you? Did he have a knife?"

Ryan shook his head. "I don't know, I didn't get a good look at his hands, but I don't think he was holding anything. And there was something he said... I still don't get it."

"What did he say?"

Ryan didn't reply for a moment, looking down at the pavement as the paramedic returned and began to apply a dressing to the cut. The young man winced in pain as the bandage covered the wound, and Cox waited patiently for an answer. Finally, the paramedic finished his work and left again, and then Ryan spoke.

"Give me back my life." He looked apprehensively at Cox as though expecting laughter or to be told that he was drunk, but no such dismissal came.

"I believe you," the police officer said. "Here's what's going to happen now. If the paramedic will let you go, my colleague and I are going to take you home. And I'm going to get in touch with some contacts I have. They're specialists at dealing with this sort of thing, and they'll know what to do. Don't worry, Ryan. We're going to catch the guy who assaulted you and we're going to find out what's going on."

"What if he comes after me again?"

"Then we'll protect you," Cox replied. "I swear. I'll arrange some protection for you." The paramedic returned and Cox turned to him. "Do you need to take Ryan to hospital or is he fine?"

"He should be okay to move, that cut looks nasty, but it's actually fairly superficial," the paramedic commented. "That said, it might be a knife wound, but if it is, it's not any sort of knife I've ever seen. It's closer to cuts I've seen inflicted by claws."

Cox frowned. "We'll figure out what the attacker had. Thank you for your help."

"It's no problem. I would recommend that he goes to hospital at some point over the next few weeks, just so we can ensure that the injury doesn't become infected. I've applied an antibacterial gel, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I'll do that," Ryan murmured. Satisfied, the paramedic walked away to his car.

"We'd better get you home," Cox mused.

"Don't you need to interview everyone else?"

"I don't think they'll be of much help," the officer commented to himself. "Besides, getting you home is my priority. Okay, Bennett, we're finished here. Let's get this young man home."

"Finished?" Bennett murmured. "But there's nothing in your notebook. You said that it was important to make a note of everything."

Cox picked up his notebook and closed it, putting it and his pen away. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get Ryan here back home."

As Bennett led Ryan over to the police car, Cox lingered for a moment. Something about Ryan had felt odd to him since he had first seen him and he hadn't been quite sure of what, but as he watched his partner lead the teenager away, he realised what it was. It was in the way Ryan looked at the bystanders.

Naturally, several Shadows were among the humans crowded around to watch what was going on. Just glancing through them, Cox could pick out elves, more satyrs, even an ophidia. The thing was that he knew how he looked at them, with the air of someone used to seeing them. Shadows weren't an odd sight to him. But when he looked at Ryan, and saw how he looked at those same Shadows, he realised that it were as though Ryan had never seen them before. He knew the teenager was Aware, he could tell immediately just by looking at him.

So why was he looking at the Shadows as though he had never seen them before in his life?

"You coming, Cox?" Bennett's call snapped him from his musing and he hurried over to the police car, still puzzling over what he knew. An Aware young man who seemed to have only just become Aware had been attacked by a man who he claimed had his own features and who had told him to give him his life back. And this strange man had inflicted a wound on Ryan which had much more in common with the damage done by the werewolf he had faced a decade previously than with any kind of knife.

It sent a shiver down his spine. This was out of his league. He needed help. That was something he needed to teach Bennett. All the rookies wanted to think they could be like the Special Pursuit officers, chasing down suspects alone like the ones off of that ridiculous Duel Chasers show. But something all good officers needed to learn, he felt, was that there were times when you had to admit that you needed help. You either learned to call for backup in times of need, or you didn't get anywhere at best and ended up dead at worst.

As much as he didn't enjoy connecting to the world he had long been aware of but stepped back from, Cox knew that times came when he and his fellow officers couldn't get the job done. This had all the signs of being one of those times, and that meant he had to get out his phone and call the number he had been given a long time ago.

S:TE

The first time Cox had heard the name 'Shadowchaser', he had been Bennett's age. He had been just a rookie fresh out of training, full of fire and eager to lay down the law. So when his attempt to arrest a drunken satyr who had chosen to go on a rampage through a nightclub in pursuit of a girl who had tried to politely refuse his advances was interrupted by a man wearing a sword, a Duel Disk, and no uniform he could identify who promptly told him that the arrest was Shadowchaser business, his first instinct had been to challenge the newcomer.

This had ended with him receiving a furious radio message from his superior ordering him to stand down. Undeterred, he had chased after the Shadowchaser, determined to deal with what he saw as a vigilante. That was why he had witnessed the satyr being arrested by the unusual method of a gem which caused him to disappear into thin air.

"_Who are you?"_ he remembered asking.

"_My name's Evan. I'm a Shadowchaser. I'm sorry, but this arrest wasn't yours to make. You're Aware, aren't you?"_

He remembered meeting Evan the next day for a coffee and an explanation, and ever since, he had served as the unofficial link between Bath's police and the Shadowchasers. As the oldest Aware officer on the force, that was the easiest solution, it was felt. Several times, he had been asked to join the Shadowchasers, and each time, he had refused. He didn't want their world. He had been aware of the existence of Shadows since he was eighteen, and while sometimes it fascinated him (he sometimes fondly remembered the nymph he had dated as an eager twenty-year-old), more often it scared him. The encounter with the werewolf had only cemented his desire to cling to normality, to a wife he loved and a daughter he wanted to protect. Both were unaware of the supernatural things he saw on a regular basis, and in truth, he knew he wanted neither of them to ever touch that world.

"_If you ever come across a case you're sure has Shadow involvement, call this number and let us know. We'll come and deal with it. If you don't want to join us, I understand. This isn't the safest life. But we could use your help in this way."_

Now, in the police car driving Ryan home, Cox found himself reminded of the reasons he was afraid of the world he saw. He remembered the werewolf, a slavering, vicious beast which had no desire but to maim and kill. He had been oh so lucky to survive his encounter with it, and he still wondered how the Shadowchasers had managed to capture and contain it. Even ten years later, he still sometimes snapped awake from nightmares about the confrontation with the creature. Its claws and fangs gleaming in moonlight, ready to tear him apart. Saliva dripping from its jaws in anticipation. Those hungry golden eyes.

He forced himself to stop. Dwelling on that wouldn't do any good.

"You okay?" Bennett asked.

Cox snapped from his reverie. "I'm fine. Just remembering something."

"Anything you think'll help with this case?"

"Maybe, but I think at this point it's out of our hands," the older officer shrugged. "Sometimes, kid, what we have to accept is that some cases are ones we can't solve."

Bennett made a puzzled frown as he turned off of the main road onto a residential street. "What do you mean? That we should give up on this?"

"No," he answered. "Let me tell you something as a twenty-year man. Sometimes, people from groups you don't really know are going to come in and take over the case, and when you try to argue, you get phone calls from your superiors telling you to step the hell down." He remembered his first confrontation with Evan and the angry message from the chief inspector he had promptly received. "When that happens, just do it. There are some things best left untouched except by the experts."

"You're saying someone else is going to take this case?"

Cox nodded, watching the houses pass by outside the windows of the car. "It's for the best, Bennett. Just a word of advice from a man who's seen it happen plenty of times."

"Right," the rookie nodded. "Uh, Ryan, which is your house?" Ryan indicated one and the officers parked the car outside. "There you go. We'll be keeping an eye out for this maniac. We'll catch him, don't worry."

Cox had to look away. No. _They _wouldn't catch him, he was sure of that.

The Shadowchasers would.

S:TE

When Cox finally got home, his daughter was sound asleep. He lingered at the door for a moment, smiling at how tranquil she seemed, before kissing her goodnight and leaving.

"How was work?" his wife asked as he passed her on the way to what they had dubbed 'the study'.

"Same sort of thing, just teaching Bennett the ropes. Kid wants to be on Special Pursuit, like the rest of them."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Damn Special Pursuit. Everyone should know that beat officers like you are the ones who put in the real work."

"I guess D-Wheelers who catch criminals in high speed Riding Duels are more fun for the camera," he replied absent-mindedly. "How was Ellen's day?"

"She got an A on that painting she did for art," she replied, clearly happy with this. Cox smiled too.

"That's brilliant. I'm glad she's doing well." He looked at her for a moment. "I need to make a phone call. It's just a work thing, I'll be five minutes, okay?"

"Okay, dear." She kissed him good night and disappeared into their bedroom. Cox stared at the door. He hated being Aware sometimes. He hated that he saw a world very different from what his loved ones saw. If he could have given it up, he would have done so without a second's thought. It was impossible, of course, no one knew how to blind an Aware to what they alone could see, but sometimes when he had to lie to everyone he knew, it was difficult to appreciate his 'gift'.

Putting aside the melancholy thought, he walked into the study. In truth, it was more a chaotic mass of books and papers he had gathered for some reason, only to neglect due to the demands of his work. He slumped into the swivel chair placed by a desk overflowing with paper, and retrieved his phone from his pocket. He opened the contacts and scrolled down to the number labelled 'Shadowchasers'. It was perhaps a bit blatant of him to simply label the number with the group's name, but who besides him read his phone's contacts on a regular basis?

Sighing, he dialled the number. He didn't actually know who it reached, he presumed it connected to some office in the Shadowchaser bureaucracy who could direct members of the group to help.

Just a moment after he dialled, he was answered. _"Officer Cox? What do you need?"_

"I had a case this evening, a young man assaulted in an alley," Cox explained. "He had an injury which definitely looked inflicted by claws, and he claims the assailant had the same features as himself and told him to give him back his life."

"_Any chance the young man was drunk?"_

Cox was shaking his head even as the question was asked. "No. I'd have been able to tell. He was completely sober. This sounds too much like a job for the Shadowchasers for me to not call."

The person at the other end considered it. _"You've worked with Alyssa Daniels before, right?"_

Cox nodded absent-mindedly. He did remember Alyssa, a stunning woman with chestnut brown hair who had been one of the Shadowchasers helping with the werewolf affair. "Yes."

"_She's the closest Shadowchaser to Bath right now not involved in a critical assignment, so I'll get in touch with her. Just, uh, Alyssa's a bit of a lone wolf, so if she gives you the cold shoulder-"_

"I know the type. I'll be okay," Cox replied. "Thank you for your help."

"_Think nothing of it," _the Shadowchaser replied.

Hanging up the phone, Cox sat for a while, looking into the chaotic mass of papers. Getting in touch with the Shadowchasers always reminded him of why he had refused to join them. It brought back memories, of the werewolf, of the other things he had just glimpsed, but of which glimpses had been more than enough.

Finally, he got up and left the study.

S:TE

A hundred miles from the city, the moon was shining down on open countryside. A small glade stood isolated atop a hill overlooking a great valley, with a small stream running beside it, and amidst the trees, two duelists stood.

One was clearly a Shadowkind, a tall, brutish muscular man with the head of a bull, wearing black leather which glistened in a sickly manner in the moonlight. His Duel Disk was almost twice the size of a regular model just to fit on his arm, and a blazing draconic creature with a body of dark obsidian rose before him, its form wrapped in an aura of fire **[****2900****/1800/L8]**, along with a monstrous T-Rex of black iron with a body likewise wrapped in fire **[****2800****/2200/L8]**.

His opponent controlled only a Trap Card named Sylvan Waterslide and a face-down card. She was a slender, toned woman with chestnut brown hair and sharp green eyes, wearing a black leather biker jacket over a form-fitting green T-shirt and blue jeans. Her features were soft, but there was no mistaking the steel in her gaze and the mark on her cheek which identified her as a Shadowchaser. While she seemed largely human, her ears tapered to gentle points, betraying her elven heritage. She had only two cards in her hand.

"Face it, Alyssa," the minotaur said in some mix of a laugh and a snort. "You've lost! You should've known better than to fight me alone!"

"A great duelist once said that the duel isn't over until the last card is played," Alyssa responded. "I'll prove the truth of that maxim right now."

**Alyssa 1100LP/Minotaur 3400LP**

"In my Draw Phase, I use the effect of Sylvan Waterslide instead of drawing," she declared. "With this, I excavate the top card of my deck, and if it's a Plant-Type, it's sent to my Graveyard, otherwise, it comes to my hand." She turned over the card, holding it up. "Since I revealed my Plant-Type Sylvan Peaskeeper, it goes to the Graveyard, activating its effect as it was excavated and then discarded. I revive a Level 4 or less Plant-Type from my Graveyard, like Copy Plant." A gnarled stump with venomous green eyes appeared before her **[****0****/0/L1]**.

"A Tuner monster," the minotaur considered. "But it won't help you without other monsters!"

"I activate my Trap Card, Sylvan Blessing!" Alyssa continued. "I put a card from my hand on top of my deck," she put a card onto the top of the deck, "then, I Special Summon a Sylvan from my hand or Graveyard, like Sylvan Hermitree." A swirling whirlwind of leaves erupted before her, transforming into a great tree with a face in its trunk, its leaves a mix of green and red **[****2700****/1800/L8]**.

"With Hermitree's effect, I excavate my deck's top card," she held up a monster called Sylvan Marshalleaf, "then, if it's a Plant-Type, it goes to the Graveyard and I draw." She discarded the monster, making a draw. "With Marshalleaf's effect, when it's excavated and discarded, I destroy one of your monsters! Begone, Pyrorex!" Vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the T. Rex-like Elemental Lord and crushing it until it burst into embers.

"You might have destroyed my Pyrorex, but I still have Shiryu!" the minotaur boasted.

"All you people do is boast, and boast, and boast," Alyssa retorted. "It won't save you. I activate Copy Plant's effect, allowing it to become the same Level as another Plant on the field for the rest of the turn. I copy Hermitree's Level." Copy Plant glowed, its body twisting and expanding to become a dark duplicate of Hermitree **[****0****/0/L8]**. "I expect you thought I would go for a Synchro Summon, but a Tuner with an ability like this can also be used in another way. I Overlay my Level 8 Hermitree and Copy Plant!"

The minotaur glared in surprise as the two turned into bolts of red and green light respectively, shooting into the air then crashing down into a swirling portal of iridescent colours.

"_White tiger of the West who thrives in the autumn, sharpen your claws and roar in defense of the holy forest!"_

The portal exploded into golden light and a gigantic, four-legged silhouette became visible within it.

"_Xyz Summon... Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector!"_

The monster emerged, a gigantic tiger with white fur and four horns made of jagged branches. Its coat was covered in moss, and its claws gleamed menacingly in the moonlight, two golden Overlay Units orbiting its body **[****2300****/3200/R8/2OU]**.

"I activate Alsei's effect!" Alyssa called. "Once per turn, I can declare a card name, then excavate my deck's top card! I declare Pyrotech Mech – Shiryu!"

"What? Why would you declare that card? Is it even in your deck?"

"Because if the card I excavate isn't what I declared, it goes to the Graveyard," she explained, discarding the excavated Breakthrough Skill. "And since a card went from my deck to the Graveyard due to a card effect, I can activate Alsei's _other _effect. I detach one Overlay Unit," the tiger growled, crushing an Overlay Unit with a swipe of its claws, "to return any card on the field to the top or bottom of the deck. I'll send Shiryu to the top of your deck!"

The minotaur watched in shock as Alsei roared, causing Shiryu to dissolve into embers and vanish. He caught the card as it flew from his Duel Disk, grudgingly putting it on top of his deck.

"Now, I summon Sylvan Bladefender!" Another Sylvan appeared, this one resembling a wandering samurai with a katana and wakizashi sheathed at his belt, wearing a kimono made of leaves and a round straw hat **[****1900****/700/L4]**. "And now, to finish this. Bladefender and Alsei, direct attack!"

"No!" her opponent cried in horror as first Bladefender lunged, slashing across the bull-man's chest with a katana, and then Alsei struck with a sweeping blow of its claws.

**Alyssa 1100LP/Minotaur 0LP**

As the minotaur was thrown to the ground, Alsei and Bladefender slowly faded into blowing leaves which lingered for just a moment before vanishing. Groaning, the massive Shadowkind began to struggle to his feet, only to stop as Alyssa stood over him.

She held out a glowing gem. "Matthew Walker, you are under arrest for assault, theft and grievous bodily harm."

Matthew's head slumped down and he stared into the dirt. "Just get it over with."

The gem flashed and the minotaur vanished in an instant. Alyssa was left alone, lowering the gem. The Shadowchaser sighed, looking up through the trees at the night sky. Chasing the minotaur down had taken several hours of high-speed pursuit through country lanes, which she hadn't enjoyed at all. Pleasant as the British countryside could be, the roads weren't meant for D-Wheels.

Retrieving her sheathed sword from where she had left it by a tree, she emerged from the glade to be met by a trio of worried-looking teenagers. To a Mundane, they would have seemed normal, but to her Aware eyes, their leafy hair and green-tinted skin indicated their true nature. The three were dryads, plant Shadowkind connected to the woodlands.

"I'm sorry to have brought him here," Alyssa said quietly.

"It's okay," the eldest of the dryads said. "We understand. At least he's safely in custody now." She smiled warmly. "Have a safe trip home, Alyssa. Despite the circumstances, it's good to see you."

"It was good to see you too, May," the Shadowchaser answered. She passed the dryads by, returning to where she had parked her D-Wheel a short distance from the glade. It was one of the latest models, a sleek motorcycle painted a rich green. Removing her Duel Disk from her arm, she set it into place on the D-Wheel's console, only to pause as the sound of her phone's ringtone disturbed the night air. She answered it. "Alyssa here."

"_Alyssa, I got a call from Sergeant Cox in Bath. There's a case he thinks needs Shadowchaser involvement."_

The half-elf Shadowchaser considered this, remembering Cox. The last time they had met, she recalled, the man had almost been killed by a werewolf. That had been a decade ago. She wondered idly how much he had changed since then.

"Why does he think he needs us?"

"_From what he said, a student was attacked by someone who looked exactly like him and told him to 'give his life back'. And the student's injuries looked inflicted by claws."_

Alyssa pursued her lips in thought, trying to think of what Shadowkind might fit that description. "It sounds like something for us. I'll get over there in the morning."

"_Meet the sergeant at the police station when you arrive, he'll be helping you out."_

She frowned. "I don't need help. All I need is a briefing and then I can get by on my own."

"_I'm pretty sure he knows the city better than you do. Alyssa, please, just work with him. Cox is a good man and he'll definitely be able to help out."_

"Caleb, I'm fine on my own."

"_If it was Jalal on this phone, he'd tell you the same, Alyssa. I know you prefer to work alone, but Bath's a city you barely know and the sergeant can help you out. Every Shadowchaser I know who's worked with him has had nothing but praise for him. And he's been invited to join us at least three times."_

"Really?" She tried to reconcile the image of the man she had seen in the aftermath of the werewolf's capture with someone who would be asked to join the Shadowchasers. She somehow couldn't manage it. She knew he had confronted the werewolf face-to-face, of course she did, they'd all heard about how a man with nothing but police training had faced a werewolf and lived.

Maybe it wasn't so surprising he had received an offer to join them after all.

"_Will you work with him?"_

Alyssa considered for a moment more. "Okay. I'll work with him."

Caleb audibly sighed down the phone. _"Thank God. I thought I'd be here all night trying to get you to change your mind. Good luck with the case, Alyssa. It sounds like it'll be a tough one."_

She hung up, pocketing the phone. She briefly wondered what sort of Shadow could be behind the case. Any number of Shadowkind could have inflicted injuries with claws, but the added details sounded unlike anything she had ever come across before. Of course, there were Shadowkind who could copy a person's appearance, though she had never personally encountered such. Perhaps the attacker had intended to kill the student and then imitate him. But why?

Frowning, Alyssa mounted the D-Wheel. She needed to get some sleep, then she could head out to Bath. It would only be an hour and a half trip by D-Wheel from her home. She took her helmet from a compartment behind the seat, putting it on before starting up the motorcycle and racing away from the glade.

Even as she returned to the winding country lanes, her thoughts were still filled with theories and thoughts about the mysterious attacker.

S:TE

_Next time, with Alyssa arriving in Bath, she prepares to meet Sergeant Cox, only for duty to call at the most unfortunate time. Faced with a Riding Duel, will she be able to win? _

_See in Duel 2: Warrior's Pride!_


	2. Duel 2: Warrior's Pride

Duel 2: Warrior's Pride

The sun was just beginning to rise in Bath, but Ryan Wilson wasn't asleep. He lay awake, staring at the wall of his room, at the posters on it. From one, a man in a white coat posed dramatically in front of a demonic red dragon, above big red letters which declared his name to be JACK ATLAS. His violet eyes seemed to glare down at Ryan and he could just imagine Jack making some dramatic, over the top speech at the top of his voice.

His hand strayed to his forehead, feeling the dressing on his wound. That was why he hadn't slept. He was too haunted by the attack. He couldn't shake the feelings of dread.

"_Give me back my life!"_

He sat up, looking around his room. More posters depicting famous duelists with their ace monsters covered the walls, along with several film posters. Light shone in through the crack in the curtains at his window, shining directly onto the JACK ATLAS poster. His desk sat by the window with his Duel Disk and deck on it, his clothes thrown haphazardly on the floor where he had tossed them aside the night before.

Ryan took his phone from where he had placed it on the desk, opening his list of contacts. He scrolled down to a certain number, staring at the name by it.

_Leanne_

He sighed, thinking of the girl he had last seen before he had been attacked. He remembered looking into warm brown eyes and kissing soft lips before practically skipping away down the garden path. And he remembered her waving goodbye as she closed the door. How had his evening so quickly gone from such joy to absolute terror and pain?

There was a photograph on the desk in a silver frame, and Ryan looked at it. It showed him with his arm around a black-haired young woman, the two of them smiling for the camera. He could see those warm brown eyes, the ones he loved so very much. Even as unmoving representations, they still brought a smile to his face.

He considered calling her to say that he needed to see her, but then again, it was only dawn. She was probably still asleep. Instead, he began composing a text. Immediately, he stopped and just stared at the blank screen. What could he say? He wondered if she knew about the attack, but then, if she did know, she'd have called him to make sure he was okay. She'd never wait to make sure that he was okay.

Ryan smiled. That reminded him of how they had met.

_The lights were too bright and the music was too loud. He wondered how he had let them drag him here. Of course, they were all off in their own world, the world of the nightclub. They were dancing, enraptured by the music in a way he couldn't be. The five he had come to the club with had already abandoned him, walking onto the dance floor and getting caught in its spell. He was wearing his best white shirt and black jeans, but rather than making him feel suave and cool, he felt like a child wearing an adult's clothes in a misguided attempt to look good._

_Ryan turned away. A glance at his watch told him that only half an hour had passed since they had arrived. He awkwardly weaved his way through the crowd, apologising to each person he so much as brushed against, dreading at any moment a drunken shout from someone he had pushed too hard. But no shouts came and he managed to reach the bar safely. Clinging to it as though he were a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood, he glanced back, taking in the club. The ceilings were low, he briefly remembered someone commenting that all the clubs in Bath were underground, and to a young man who had never been in a club before, that factor just made him feel more claustrophobic. He was surrounded on all sides by people cooler than he was, people who were drinking, dancing, laughing, singing along to a song he didn't even know._

_He didn't belong._

_Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he looked back to see one of the barmaids looking at him expectantly. Waiting for him to order something, he realised. He glanced around for a menu, but there wasn't one in sight. Maybe a drink would help him calm down, though. His glances made him see what the girl next to him was drinking. As he looked, she picked up a small shot glass full of clear liquid and downed it in a single gulp._

_He made a vague gesture to the shot glass as the girl put it down and hoped the barmaid would understand. She nodded, and to his relief, turned to retrieve a glass of the same kind from a stack on a counter behind her. She then poured out something from a bottle he didn't take notice of and placed the glass on the bar in front of him, holding up three fingers. Three pounds, he realised. He fumbled with his pocket, picking out change for a good ten seconds before handing her two pound coins and two fifty pence pieces._

_As the barmaid walked away, Ryan picked up the shot glass, looking at its contents and wondering what he was about to drink. Finally, he downed it in one just as the girl had._

_It burned his throat as it went down, as though he had drunk a glass of acid. Coughing, he set the glass down, his vision blurring as his eyes watered. Someone clapped him in the back and he winced, the people around him chuckling. He couldn't deal with this. He needed air, he needed space, he needed quiet._

_Turning, Ryan gingerly weaved through the crowd, still choking out apologies as he went. Finally he managed to break out of the throngs of people, escaping the club and emerging into the cold night air. One thought kept echoing itself in his head and it passed his lips._

"_I don't belong here."_

"_Hm?" He turned, blushing already that someone had heard him. There was a girl leaning against the wall of the building a little bit away from the bouncers, wearing jeans and a checked red and blue shirt. Her black hair was neatly tied back and her deep brown eyes looked at him curiously._

"_It's... it's nothing," Ryan muttered._

"_No, I heard you," she replied. "You said you don't belong here." She paused, seeing his watering eyes. "What's wrong?"_

_He didn't know why, but suddenly, he was talking, letting it all out. "Some friends got me to come, but they're just doing their own thing and I'm on my own and I tried to get a drink but it just hurt my throat and-" He cut himself off, looking at the ground all of a sudden. "Sorry-"_

"_Don't apologise," the girl said. "I'm Leanne. And I know how I feels. To be honest, I'm kind of in the same situation. Don't be ashamed. Not everyone's comfortable in a place like this."_

_Ryan looked up at her, genuinely surprised. "I thought I was the only person who... who couldn't cope. I'm Ryan."_

"_It's okay, Ryan," Leanne smiled. "I understand what it's like. The same thing happened to me, that's why I'm out here."_

That was how it had begun, Ryan reflected with a smile. Just with some words outside a nightclub. That was how he had met someone who he knew cared about him completely. He quickly began the text, finding the words.

_How are you today? Can we meet up? I really need to talk._

He paused. What else could he say? It felt bland with just those three things, but he didn't know what else to add to the message. In the end, he just added three words.

_I love you xxx_

S:TE

Alyssa dismounted her D-Wheel, looking down into Bath from the hilltop. The city lay in a valley, buildings clinging to the slopes of the hills around, and a river winding through the center of the mass of grey. It seemed peaceful, unlike some places she had visited. The sun was bright as it shone down, and the morning seemed calm and pleasant. The Shadowchaser pulled off her helmet, feeling the wind play through her hair.

A perfect day, she reflected. The last time she had been here, it had been a misty night illuminated by a cold full moon and a werewolf's howls had been her greeting. This time, a passing pedestrian smiled at her.

"It's a wonderful view, isn't it?" the woman said. "I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it."

"Yes," Alyssa replied. "It is nice. Have a good day."

"And you too."

The passer-by walked on and Alyssa watched the city from above for a moment more. It almost seemed strange to have been called to somewhere so peaceful.

Somewhere behind her, glass shattered and someone cried out.

The Shadowchaser smiled.

In an instant, she had turned and was sprinting over the street.

"Please, don't-!"

"Give me the money!"

Alyssa vaulted a parked car, propelling herself with a hand on its bonnet, and landed nimbly on the pavement. Ignoring the few pedestrians she weaved through, she made her way into the shop she had heard the sound from.

A man lay in a pool of shattered glass, having been thrown into a cabinet by the imposing man who now stood over him. Alyssa sized up the standing one. He was muscular to the point he was clearly an athlete of some kind, wearing a leather jacket and jeans. His eyes glared down at his fallen opponent with unmistakable hatred, and though the man appeared largely human, the Shadowchaser knew enough to pick up on the subtle cues identifying his Shadow heritage. He was a half-orc, born in much the same way as herself from a union between human and Shadowkind, but while Alyssa had inherited the pointed ears of an elf, this man had received the muscular demeanour and tusk-like lower teeth common to orcs.

"Give me what you owe me!" the half-orc growled.

"I'd-I'd love to help you... what, what was your name-?" the man stammered out, nursing a cut on his cheek with hands leaking blood from numerous small wounds.

The half-orc's expression turned even more fearsome and furious. "Cole! It's Cole! You didn't even bother to remember my name when I came to you and begged you to let me fight?!"

"I'm sorry, please, don't hurt me, I just can't get your money-"

Cole roared in fury. "You cheated me, you scum! You promised me that you'd give me that money so long as I fought in your little underground arena! I didn't have to win that duel, but I did! And yet here I am, penniless, with a wife and kids who need my help! Give me what I deserve! Or God help me, I will take these hands and murder you with them!" He drew back a fist menacingly, glaring at the man in the glass.

"That's enough."

Cole whirled, glaring at Alyssa. But as soon as he caught sight of the mark on her cheek, his glare abruptly faltered. "A Shadowchaser here?"

"I don't know what happened between you two, but I can't stand back," Alyssa said. "You're under arrest."

"You... you don't understand," Cole spat. "You don't understand what this scum did to me! I went through hell all for my family and he swindled me out of what I earned! This is my last resort!"

"If he's running an underground duel arena, perhaps going to the police would be a better option than trying to beat a man to death in broad daylight." She glanced back down at the man on the floor, instinctively knowing he was Aware. "I know that it can be hard to keep it bottled up. Orcs are naturally warlike, it's in their blood, the same blood you have. But this isn't the way."

"I have no other way!" the half-orc bellowed. "Either I get my money from him, no matter what I have to do, or my family will starve!"

Alyssa frowned. "There are charities who could help you."

Cole glanced away. "I can't accept charity. If I can't even support my family with these two hands, I'm nothing to them! That's the way I live! And I'll fight with my bare hands, with my teeth if needs be, to make sure that family is safe!"

"I have to take you in," the Shadowchaser replied quietly. "Despite your circumstances, you still broke the law by attacking this man. And even though he may have cheated you out of money, attacking him like this isn't acceptable."

Cole's anger seemed to fade for a moment, and beneath it, Alyssa saw the desperation fuelling his rage. "Do you even understand how I feel, Shadowchaser? I expect you don't. I was always taught that a true man solves all his problems with the hands God gave him. If you need money, you go and earn it with the sweat on your brow and blisters on your palms. If a man wrongs you, you answer with your fists. It's crude, I suppose, but to someone like me, that code is everything. And somehow, a man like me found love and got a family." A tear actually fell from his eye at this point. "I would gladly die... gladly give up everything else to save those three. If I go to prison now, they'll have no-one. And I'll have failed to live up to what I was always taught."

Alyssa said nothing.

"Do you understand? This is the only way I can help the people I love!" Cole cried. "I'll smash any obstacle, defeat any opponent, just so long as my wife and my kids can have food on the table! If you stand in the way of that, I'll crush you with my own hands!" He put up his fists, settling into what was unmistakably a boxing stance.

"I can see that you're suffering a lot with this," Alyssa answered. "But this isn't the answer. If you wanted to protect your family, attacking someone wasn't the right thing to do."

Cole's anger seemed replaced by shock for a moment, as though she had gotten through to him. But then the rage returned and he charged at her. "I won't let you arrest me!"

The Shadowchaser barely had time to react before Cole was on her. The half-orc struck right away with a blow to the face which would have probably broken her nose had she not ducked back from it. But her dodge left her open and Cole punched at her stomach, throwing her to the floor, and before she could recover the half-orc had leapt past her and sprinting towards a plain D-Wheel.

"Why do they always run?" she muttered as she stood up just in time to watch Cole race off without a helmet. If she hadn't already been convinced that his desperation was overwhelming him, that would have made it absurdly clear.

"Are you going to just leave me?" the man behind her cried.

Alyssa fixed him with a look. "I might have to arrest Cole, but I won't argue that you didn't bring this on yourself by swindling him."

"You're actually going to _believe_-?" But before he could finish, Alyssa was racing to her own D-Wheel, vaulting a car to reach the road before jumping to the motorcycle. Quickly pulling on her helmet, she started it up and swerved onto the street, barely avoiding a car. She smirked as she felt the wind brush her skin. This was what being alive meant. The wind, the noise, the acceleration of the D-Wheel. There was nothing like chasing a runner at high speed.

Weaving her ride through the the crowd, she quickly caught sight of Cole's dark D-Wheel, and accelerated through the traffic towards. The half-orc glanced back and saw her, but presumably he was already going at full speed, because he didn't accelerate further.

As the traffic began to thin out, Alyssa revved her own D-Wheel to full speed, racing ahead and easily catching up to Cole's own ride. The half-orc looked at her in shock and horror.

"You can't get away from me," Alyssa called over the wind. "My D-Wheel's more advanced than yours. You can't run, so you only have two choices left. You can give up-"

"No," Cole growled. "I'll grab every chance I have left. If I can't outrun you, I'll do what I've always done. I'll fight." He slammed a hand into a control on his D-Wheel's console, immediately transforming the screen into Duel Mode. "I know my rights. If I can win this duel, I can escape. And I _will _win, for my family's sake!"

Alyssa looked at her own console. "If that's what you want, so be it." She tapped her own control, and the two D-Wheels spoke in unison.

"_Duel Mode, engaged. Autopilot, online. Speed World 2, activated."_

Holographic images of the same card appeared on both consoles, rotating and fading away as circles of light expanded from their D-Wheels and coated the world in a haze of purple light. The two separated their D-Wheels, opening room for their cards to appear.

"_Riding Duel, set, on!"_

**Alyssa 8000LP, 0SPC/Cole 8000LP, 0SPC**

"Ladies first," Cole called.

"Right," Alyssa replied, drawing a card. "I summon Sylvan Flowerknight!" She threw a card into her Disk and a flurry of petals erupted at her D-Wheel's side. A noble warrior appeared at her side, wearing pale green armor and a helmet made of leaves. Drawing a thin-bladed longsword with a crossguard made of flowers and a shield adorned with daffodils, Flowerknight smiled and prepared for battle **[****1800****/1000/L4]**.

"Now, I activate Flowerknight's effect. When she's Normal Summoned, I excavate my deck's top card, and if it's a Plant-Type, it's discarded." A large holographic card appeared over her head, revolving to reveal Speed Spell – Speed Energy, and she frowned. "Since it's not, it goes to the bottom of my deck." She put the card underneath her deck, considering. "I end my turn."

**Alyssa 8000LP, 0SPC/Cole 8000LP, 0SPC**

"I draw!" Cole bellowed. Both players immediately gained a Speed Counter, causing their D-Wheels to accelerate **[Alyssa 1SPC] [Cole 1SPC]**. "I'll show you the deck I built, the deck which embodies me! I summon Battlin' Boxer Glassjaw!"

There was a burst of flames and a towering figure rose up, wearing white boxing shorts, a black helmet and boxing gloves of the same color. Raising its fists, Glassjaw made a snarl **[****2000****/0/L4]**. Alyssa grimaced, she hadn't expected a monster that powerful on Cole's first turn at all.

"If anyone tries to stop you doing the right thing, you lay 'em out and make them realise the good you're doing!" Cole cried. "That's what my dad taught me! That's the way he lived, and the way I'll live. Is it wrong that I want to help my family, Shadowchaser?! Is it?!"

"No," Alyssa retorted. "But not in the way you're going about it!"

Cole's expression hardened. "Glassjaw, attack her Flowerknight!" Its fists blazing, Glassjaw lunged at Flowerknight and hit the Sylvan like a meteor. With a yell of pain, Flowerknight crashed down to the road and shattered into green motes. Alyssa cringed as she felt the impact.

**[Alyssa 7800LP]**

"I end my turn with this face-down!" A reversed card appeared behind Glassjaw as the Battlin' Boxer crashed its fists together, glaring at Alyssa fiercely.

**Alyssa 7800LP, 1SPC/Cole 8000LP, 1SPC**

"I draw," the Shadowchaser said, looking at her cards as both players gained a Speed Counter **[Alyssa 2SPC] [Cole 2SPC]**. She only had one monster left in her hand, and it was nowhere near strong enough to defeat Glassjaw. But with some luck, it could give her something that could.

"I set a monster and two face-down cards!" The three appeared before her as she looked at her remaining hand. All three were Speed Spells she couldn't yet activate. Once she could, they could hopefully allow her to turn the tide. "And I end my turn."

**Alyssa 7800LP, 2SPC/Cole 8000LP, 2SPC**

"My turn! Draw!" Cole tore the next card from his deck as the two sped up again **[Alyssa 3SPC] [Cole 3SPC]**. "I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" One of the most common and familiar Speed Spells appeared at his side and Cole evidently expected her to know its effect, making two draws, then throwing a monster into his Graveyard.

"Now, I summon Battlin' Boxer Headgeared!" A nother boxer appeared, this one smaller and more lithe than Glassjaw, its body made of steel and its gloves red. As its name implied, it wore red headgear **[****1000****/1800/L4]**. "When Headgeared is Normal Summoned, I send a Battlin' Boxer from my deck to the Graveyard! I'll send Battlin' Boxer Shadow there!" A card slid from his deck and he immediately discarded it.

"_Two Level 4 monsters... is he going to Xyz Summon here?" _Alyssa wondered.

"Glassjaw, attack her monster!" Glassjaw lunged over the field with its blazing fists, only to promptly punch a small mushroom-creature with a flaming cap, wielding a staff **[100/****2000****/L2]**.

"You just attacked Sylvan Komushroomo," Alyssa explained. "When this monster gets flipped face-up, his effect activates and lets me excavate up to five cards from the top of my deck." Five cards appeared over her as she took the cards from her deck. "Like all my excavating effects, this one sends all the Plant-Types among the excavated cards to the Graveyard and puts everything else on the bottom of my deck." The cards flipped around, revealing Sylvan Waterslide, Lonefire Blossom, Speed Spell – Rapid Excavation, Sylvan Peaskeeper and Pollinosis. She discarded both monsters, putting the other three cards at the bottom of her deck.

"I activate Peaskeeper's effect when excavated, Special Summoning a Level 4 or less Plant-Type from my Graveyard. Come back, Lonefire Blossom!" One of the most notorious Plant-Types in the game appeared, a golden plant with a bulb topped by a blazing flame **[500/****1400****/L3]**.

Cole grimaced at the sight of the Plant. "I guess you're going to bring out Tytannial next turn," he muttered.

"I don't have her," Alyssa replied. "If you think she's all Plant-Types have to offer, you're sorely mistaken. I may not have Aki Izayoi's dragon, but if I ever needed to duel her, I'd like to think I could show her a few things about this type."

"Who's Aki Izayoi?"

Alyssa looked away. Perhaps she should have expected that reaction given she was referencing a Japanese duelist who hadn't been in the spotlight all that much. "It doesn't matter."

"I end my Battle Phase then," Cole replied. As he spoke, red auras appeared around his two monsters. "There was a speech my dad gave me once. About not ever hitting hard as life, about needing to just take the hits and keep going because that's how you win. That's how I live. Life hits me hard, it's hitting me hard! But I'll endure and punch through to victory! I Overlay my Level 4 Headgeared and Glassjaw!"

The two burst into crimson light, soaring into the air and then colliding into a explosion of flame.

"I construct an Overlay Network with these two monsters... take every punch and hit back twice as hard!" Cole chanted. "_Battlin' Boxer Lead Yoke!"_

A monster rose from the flames, wrapped in chains and weights, a bulky helmet concealing its face. Its was wrapped in a crimson aura, orbited by two red Overlay Units, and despite the weights, it seemed to have little trouble standing. Beneath its harness of chains, it wore a red leather kilt and sandals **[****2200****/2000/R4/2ORU]**.

"I end my turn!"

**Alyssa 7800LP, 3SPC/Cole 8000LP, 3SPC**

"I draw!" Alyssa called out **[Alyssa 4SPC] [Cole 4SPC]**. _"What is that Xyz monster? What can it do, and why didn't he summon it before he attacked?"_

"I activate Lonefire Blossom's effect! Once per turn, I can Tribute a Plant-Type to Special Summon a Plant-Type from my deck, so I Tribute Blossom itself," the burning plant exploded into a swirl of red petals, "to Special Summon Sylvan Hermitree!"

The petals coalesced, causing the great tree to rise up beside her **[****2700****/1800/L8]**.

"You know why I use these boxers, I'm guessing," Cole said.

"Because of your dad and what he taught you," Alyssa replied. "About punching your way through your problems. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he meant that metaphorically and not that you should just beat up everyone who got in the way?"

"You think if I had any other option, I wouldn't take it rather than what I did?!" Cole growled. "I know what my dad meant. But because I'm half-orc, I have to be a warmongering thug, right? You know how hard it is? Of course not. You're a half-elf, I bet guys love to eat that eye candy. When did you ever have people staring in fear? When did you ever have to deal with people expecting a thug where none exists?"

"I didn't mean that," the Shadowchaser replied apologetically.

"You have no idea how glad I was to find someone who could look past my face and see what I'm truly like," the half-orc answered. "No idea. And now I can't even provide for her. Even the Mundanes shunned me. Even the people who couldn't see what I look like still rejected me! So to finally find someone who didn't give a damn about my face was great! And to have kids with her... I'm blessed." He closed his eyes, trusting in his D-Wheel's autopilot to prevent a crash. "But now I can't provide for them. I used to be a boxer, y'know? My wife knew a guy who didn't give a damn about how I looked so long as I could fight. And I could. I could do that. I was punching away at my problems, finding a way to get it all out. But the big break never came. I never got big, not big enough to support my family anyway."

His eyes snapped open. "So I got desperate."

"We can help your family, Cole," Alyssa said. "You never had to do this."

He didn't answer for a while. "I couldn't just stand back and accept that I was useless to them. Even if I had to do something bad, if it was for their sake, it couldn't be wrong! That's why I did what I did! To that scumbag who cheated me of my hope! Keep going, Shadowchaser! I'll win this duel for my family's sake!"

"Fine... I activate Speed Spell – Recovery!" She played the card and it appeared, depicting a truck towing away a crashed car. "I need to have at least four Speed Counters to use this, but it lets me take a monster with a Level equal to or lower than my Speed Counters from my Graveyard, and put it on top of my deck." She took Sylvan Peaskeeper from her Graveyard, putting it onto her deck. "And now, I activate Hermitree's effect! I excavate my deck's top card, and if it's a Plant, I discard it and draw a card!" She discarded Peaskeeper immediately, making a draw.

"And you get Peaskeeper's effect," Cole growled.

"I revive Lonefire Blossom!" The blossom appeared once more **[500/****1400****/L3]**. "I activate my Blossom's effect again!"

"Isn't that effect once-per-turn?" her opponent protested.

"It is, but since Lonefire Blossom left the field and I resummoned it, the effect resets," Alyssa replied. "I Tribute Komushroomo to Special Summon Sylvan Guardioak from my deck!" Komushroomo dissolved into crimson petals which collected into a towering orc-like warrior wielding a large wooden club and wearing a white loincloth **[****2400****/1500/L6]**. "Next, I activate Guardioak's effect, letting me excavate up to three cards from the top of my deck!"

Three cards appeared over her head, revealing themselves as Call of the Haunted, Sylvan Blessing and Sylvan Bladefender. "Bladefender is discarded, and with its effect when excavated, it goes to my hand!" She took the card, putting it into her hand, then placed the two Trap Cards on the bottom of her deck. "Now, I summon Sylvan Bladefender!" In a swirling twister of leaves, the samurai-like Sylvan appeared, drawing his katana **[****1900****/700/L4]**.

"Four monsters... even so, you won't crush me!" Cole declared fierily.

"Hermitree, destroy his Lead Yoke!" Alyssa commanded. Hermitee unleashed a wave of razor-sharp leaves from its foliage towards the bound barbarian, but Cole just smiled.

"I activate Lead Yoke's effect! When a Battlin' Boxer I control would be destroyed, I can detach an Overlay Unit from Lead Yoke instead!" Lead Yoke roared as one of its Overlay Units smashed into its body **[1ORU]**, and the storm of leaves hit it only to break against its chains and weights. Cole still grimaced as he felt the impact of the attack.

**[Cole 7500LP]**

Alyssa frowned. "I can still use up your Lead Yoke's other Overlay Unit by attacking with Guardioak!"

"No, you can't," Cole answered. "Didn't you hear what my way of living is? I'll take the punches and hit back twice as hard! Lead Yoke's other effect activates! When it loses an Overlay Unit, it gains 800 attack points!"

The Shadowchaser's eyes widened as several of Lead Yoke's chains fell away from its body, loosening the restraints on the fierce boxer **[****3000****/2000/R4/1ORU]**. "Crap."

"On top of that, the Overlay Unit I detached was Glassjaw!" her opponent continued. "And when he goes to the Graveyard due to a card effect, I get to add any other Battlin' Boxer from my Graveyard to my hand!" He took Battlin' Boxer Shadow from his Graveyard, putting it into his hand.

"_That could be a problem," _Alyssa thought drily. "I set a card and end my turn!"

**Alyssa 7800LP, 4SPC/Cole 7500LP, 4SPC**

"I draw!" Cole declared **[Alyssa 5SPC] [Cole 5SPC]**. "Here it comes, my full power! I summon Battlin' Boxer Switchitter!" Another android boxer appeared in a swirl of fire, this one wearing a white hood, brown shirt and black shorts, with red boxing gloves. Exposed cables were wrapped around its arms and legs, and its eyes burned the same fierce red as Cole's other monsters **[****1500****/1400/L4]**. "Switchitter lets me bring back a Battlin' Boxer from my Graveyard in defense mode when I Normal Summon him, so Glassjaw is coming back for more!"

Alyssa frowned as Glassjaw reappeared at Switchitter's side, crossing its muscular arms over its chest **[2000/****0****/L4]**. "Two Level 4s again."

"That's right," the half-orc said. "I Overlay my Level 4 Switchitter and Glassjaw! I construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters!" The two transformed into flaming light and soared upwards before crashing down into a familiar explosion. _"Xyz Summon! Battlin' Boxer Lead Yoke!"_

"Another one?!" Alyssa exclaimed as a second Lead Yoke rose from the explosion, glaring at her monsters **[****2200****/2000/R4/2ORU]**.

"It doesn't end there! I activate the effect of Battlin' Boxer Shadow from my hand! I detach an Overlay Unit from a Battlin' Boxer Xyz Monster from my field to Special Summon Shadow!" Alyssa frowned as one of the second Lead Yoke's Overlay Units burst, unleashing a jet-black boxer with cold blue eyes, several dark scarves flowing behind it in the wind **[****1800****/1400/L4]**. "And since I detached an Overlay Unit from Lead Yoke, he powers up!" Several of Lead Yoke's chains fractured and broke away, releasing the mighty barbarian **[****3000****/2000/R4/1ORU]**.

"Two 3000 point monsters," the Shadowchaser muttered. "Haven't had to deal with that in a while." _"Since he detached Switchitter to do that, if he uses Lead Yoke's effect again, he'll be able to use Glassjaw to get it back and instantly set up __**another **__Rank 4 Xyz Monster."_

"How do you like it, Shadowchaser?" Cole asked. "The way I fight and the way I live are one. Even if I have to take the blows, I will, and I'll hit back even harder! Let's go! Lead Yoke, attack Hermitree!" One of the two Lead Yoke lunged at Alyssa's strongest monster.

"Brute force can only take you so far," Alyssa retorted. "Trap, activate! Wall of Thorns!" One of her cards lifted up, releasing a volley of thorny vines at Cole's monster. "This Trap Card is like Mirror Force, but it only activates when you attack a Plant-Type!"

Cole's mouth twitched into a smirk. "It's a good thing that I know that a fighter can't just rely on punches, then. Sometimes you need the footwork too!" His Trap Card lifted up and Alyssa looked shocked. "Trap Card, Accel Footwork! When you activate a Trap in the Battle Phase, it's negated and destroyed!" Just before the vines could crush Cole's monsters, they were obliterated by a volley of fireballs from the Trap.

"Damn it!"

"Since I stopped your Trap, Lead Yoke's attack continues!" The barbarian struck with a mighty fist, smashing straight through Hermitree and continuing on to hammer a blow right into Alyssa's D-Wheel. The Shadowchaser growled in pain as the impact hit.

**[Alyssa 7500LP]**

"My other Lead Yoke attacks your Guardioak!" The second Lead Yoke burst forwards and with a single punch smashed the guardian into green motes.

**[Alyssa 6900LP]**

"And now, Shadow, crush that Lonefire Blossom!" Shadow lunged forwards, blurring through the air before crushing the blossom into pulp with a single punch.

"You might have the stronger monsters now, but I can still turn this around," Alyssa said. "Power doesn't defeat everything. I'll show you that by overcoming your Lead Yokes!"

"Maybe, but first, I activate Speed Spell – Sonic Buster!" Cole retorted. "I deal you damage equal to half the attack points of one of my monsters!" Alyssa gave a gasp of pain as a pulse of sonic force exploded from one of the Lead Yokes, bombarding her for an instant.

**[Alyssa 5400LP]**

"I end my turn with a face-down card!"

**Alyssa 5400LP, 5SPC/Cole 7500LP, 5SPC**

"I draw!" Alyssa called, scanning her hand as their Speed Counters increased **[Alyssa 6SPC] [Cole 6SPC]**. "I activate Speed Spell – Rapid Excavation!" A Speed Spell appeared beside her, showing a drill tearing into a road at high speed. "With this, so long as I have six or more Speed Counters, I excavate my deck's top three cards, add one of them to my hand, and send the rest to the Graveyard!"

Three cards appeared over her head, rotating to show Speed Spell – Speed Energy, Sylvan Cherubsprout, and Xyz Reborn. "I'll add Speed Energy to my hand." She took the Speed Spell, discarding the other two. "Since I excavated and discarded Cherubsprout, its effect lets me Special Summon a Level 1 Plant from my deck!" The gnarled image of Copy Plant appeared next to her with a scowl **[0/****0****/L1]**.

For a moment, Alyssa looked at Bladefender and Copy Plant on her field as though considering something. Then she just shook her head. _"No. I don't need that." _"I activate the Trap Card, Sylvan Blessing. I put a card from my hand on the top or bottom of my deck, and revive a Sylvan from my Graveyard." She put a card on top of her deck and Sylvan Hermitree reappeared in a flurry of leaves **[****2700****/1800/L8]**. "Now I activate Hermitree's effect!" Discarding Sylvan Ferrylotus from her deck, she made a draw. "With Ferrylotus' effect when excavated, I put up to five Sylvan cards from my Graveyard on the bottom of my deck." Flowerknight, Guardioak, Marshalleaf, Peaskeeper and Sylvan Blessing slid from her Graveyard and she put them under her deck.

"What are you planning?" Cole asked. "I have two 3000 point monsters on my side of the field and both of them can still survive one destruction each."

"I activate Copy Plant's effect, making its Level equal to Hermitree's for the turn," Alyssa retorted. "And now, I Overlay my Level 8 Copy Plant and Hermitree!" The two transformed into bolts of green and red light, shooting into the air before crashing into the portal at her side.

"You use Xyz Monsters too," her opponent mused. "But you could have gone for a Level 8 Synchro monster with Copy Plant and Bladefender."

Alyssa didn't answer him, instead beginning her chant. _"White tiger of the West who thrives in the autumn, sharpen your claws and roar in defense of the holy forest! Xyz Summon! Arise, Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector!"_

The portal exploded into light and Alsei emerged with a roar, running by her side as its Overlay Units orbited it **[****2300****/3200/R8/2ORU]**.

"If you summoned that monster in defense mode, it might at least hold off my Lead Yoke for a while!" Cole retorted.

"I don't need raw power," Alyssa replied. "I'll defeat your power by finding the way around it. I activate Alsei's effect, and declare Sylvan Blessing." She revealed the top card of her deck, which turned out to be Sylvan Waterslide, and discarded it. "Since a card was sent from my deck to the graveyard by a card effect, I can activate Alsei's second effect, detaching an Overlay Unit to return a card on the field to the deck! I choose the Lead Yoke with Glassjaw as an Xyz Material!" Alsei crushed an Overlay Unit between its fangs, before unleashing a mighty roar.

Cole grimaced as one of his Xyz Monsters was blown away by the roar. "And since you removed it that way-"

"You can't use Glassjaw's effect," the Shadowchaser finished. "Don't underestimate me. Now, Alsei, attack Battlin' Boxer Shadow!" Roaring, the tiger lunged and struck with its claws, ripping through Shadow. Cole frowned as he felt the backlash of the attack.

**[Cole 7000LP]**

"I set a card face-down and end my turn!"

**Alyssa 5400LP, 6SPC/Cole 7000LP, 6SPC**

"Draw!" Cole bellowed **[Alyssa 7SPC] [Cole 7SPC]**. "Lead Yoke, attack her Alsei!" With a roar, the bound barbarian leapt at Alyssa's tiger.

Alyssa smiled. "I activate the Trap Card, Breakthrough Skill!"

"What? No!"

"With Breakthrough Skill's effect, I negate Lead Yoke's effects for this turn!" she called. "And since Lead Yoke's effects were negated, its attack points reset!" Chains appeared around Lead Yoke, binding the boxer **[****2200****/2200/R4/1ORU]**.

"Since you activated a Trap Card while I control a Battlin' Boxer, Accel Footwork is added from my Graveyard to my hand," Cole declared. "And I activate the Trap Card, Xyz Flame! With this, I detach an Overlay Unit from an Xyz Monster on my field to hit you with 1000 points of damage!" Lead Yoke's Overlay Unit flew at Alyssa, becoming a raging fireball which crashed into the Shadowchaser and her D-Wheel.

**[Alyssa 4400LP]**

Alsei struck, its claws ripping through Lead Yoke and making the Battlin' Boxer explode into a pillar of flames.

**[Cole 6900 LP]**

Cole considered for a moment before playing a card. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**Alyssa 4400LP, 7SPC/Cole 6900LP, 7SPC**

"Draw," Alyssa said **[Alyssa 8SPC] [Cole 8SPC]**. "I've defeated both of your Lead Yoke. And now I'm going to win this duel. Here I come! I summon Sylvan Flowerknight!"

Flowerknight appeared in a swirl of leaves, readying her sword **[****1800****/1000/L4]**. "With Flowerknight's effect, I excavate my deck's top card!" She revealed the card, discarding the second Copy Plant which appeared. "Next, I'll use Alsei's effect, and I declare Speed Spell – Angel Baton." She revealed a card called Sylvan Mikorange, smiling as she discarded it. "Since I excavated and discarded Mikorange, all of my Plant-Types gain 300 attack and defense points!" Green light surrounded her monsters **[****2600****/3500/R8/1ORU] [****2200****/1000/L4] [****2100****/1300/L4]**.

"Damn," Cole muttered.

"Now, Alsei, attack directly!" With a snarl, Alsei lunged over the field and struck Cole's D-Wheel with a swipe of its claws.

**[Cole 4300LP]**

"I activate the Trap Card, Damage Gate!" her opponent called. "With this, when I take battle damage, I can revive a monster whose attack points are less than the damage I took!" The Trap lifted up and Battlin' Boxer Glassjaw appeared, crashing its fists together **[****2000****/0/L4]**.

"_In attack mode?" _Alyssa wondered. "Bladefender attacks your Glassjaw!" The samurai raced forwards, drawing a sword to cut down Cole's boxer.

Cole smirked. "When Glassjaw is attacked, it destroys itself!" Glassjaw immediately shattered. "And since a card effect sent Glassjaw to the Graveyard, I get back a Battlin' Boxer!" He took Switchitter from his Graveyard and Alyssa frowned.

"Your monster left the field, so I get a replay attack," she replied. "Bladefender, attack directly!" Bladefender continued his charge, tearing his katana across Cole's arm and making the half-orc wince in pain.

**[Cole 2100LP]**

"I activate Battlin' Boxer Bailout's effect from my hand!" Cole retorted. "When I take battle damage, I can Special Summon Bailout and then gain Life Points equal to the damage I took!" A new boxer appeared, this one wearing red pads and wielding two bronze shields **[0/****1800****/L4]**. Red light engulfed Cole, making him smile as it restored his Life Points.

**[Cole 4300LP]**

"Destroy Bailout, Flowerknight!" Sylvan Flowerknight lunged forwards and cut down the shield bearer with a sweep of her sword.

"Do you see, Shadowchaser? I'm not going to give up!" Cole declared. "For my family, for their sake, I'll keep fighting on until I win!"

"What would your family think if they saw you, though?" Alyssa asked. "If your family had been there when you attacked that man, just what would they think? What would they say?"

Cole didn't answer, looking away from her.

"They wouldn't be proud at all," she continued. "I'm sure of that. They'd be horrified at what you'd done. I understand that you wanted to help them, but this isn't the way! You said you were glad to find someone who'd look beyond the stereotypes about half-orcs and see you for who you are. Acting like that is just going back to all those stereotypes! Would your family and your father really want you to become that? I end my turn."

**Alyssa 4400LP, 8SPC/Cole 4300LP, 8SPC**

Cole silently made a draw, their D-Wheels speeding up slightly **[Alyssa 9SPC] [Cole 9SPC]**. He stared at the two cards in his hand for a moment.

"Maybe you're right," he said. "But in the end, I can't escape this now. What's done is done. And all I can do is try to find what's right. I activate Speed World 2's second effect, losing seven Speed Counters to draw a card." He made a draw as his D-Wheel slowed **[Cole 2SPC]**. "Now, I use Speed Spell – Angel Baton." He played the card he had just drawn, making two draws and placing a card named Battlin' Boxer Counterpunch into his Graveyard.

"You know what's right," Alyssa answered. "I'm sure that you do."

"I summon Battlin' Boxer Switchitter!" The hooded boxer appeared once more **[****1500****/1400/L4]**. "And with his effect, I bring back Glassjaw!" Next, Battlin' Boxer Glassjaw reappeared, kneeling defensively **[2000/****0****/L4]**. "Maybe I am in the wrong, but I won't back down. Doing that would be betraying myself as a fighter, as a duelist. And I will never betray myself! I Overlay my Level 4 Switchitter and Glassjaw!" The two transformed into blazing red light and soared into the air, crashing down beside him. The light exploded into flames and for the third time, Battlin' Boxer Lead Yoke emerged, roaring ferociously as he prepared to fight **[****2200****/2200/R4/2ORU]**.

"Lead Yoke again," the Shadowchaser mused.

"This card embodies me," Cole answered. "Lead Yoke is the symbol of who I am. No matter how much he has to take, he endures the blows and grows stronger! Lead Yoke, attack Bladefender!" The barbarian struck forwards and with surprising speed considering his restraints, smashed Bladefender with a ferocious blow. As he did so, the samurai swung his blades, trying to cut down Lead Yoke.

"They'd destroy each other, except-"

"Lead Yoke's effect!" One of Lead Yoke's Overlay Units crashed into the boxer, shattering several of the chains binding him as Bladefender was obliterated **[****3000****/2200/R4/1ORU]**. "You might have beaten Lead Yoke before, but this time, I'm going to win with this card! I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" He stared at the two face-down cards. _"She'll use Alsei to try and get rid of Lead Yoke again, but Xyz Block can stop that. And if she tries to use Speed World 2's final effect to destroy Lead Yoke when he has no materials left, I can use Xyz Drop to give him another Overlay Unit."_

**Alyssa 4400LP, 9SPC/Cole 4300LP, 2SPC**

"It's my turn! Draw!" Alyssa took the next card from her deck, considering it as they both accelerated **[Alyssa 10SPC] [Cole 3SPC]**. They had left the traffic behind now, racing through quiet suburbs with barely anyone else in sight.

"I activate Alsei's effect, and I declare Battlin' Boxer Switchitter!"

Cole grimaced. _"Declaring a card she obviously doesn't have just so she can get Alsei's second effect. But I'm prepared!" _One of his Traps lifted up. "I activate the Trap Card, Xyz Block! With this, I detach an Overlay Unit from one of my monsters to negate your monster's effect and destroy it!" Lead Yoke's remaining Overlay Units shattered and transformed into shards of light, bombarding Alsei and making the tiger howl in pain before it shattered.

Alyssa stared at where her Xyz Monster had been with a pained expression. "Alsei..." She caught herself, immediately considering.

"Lead Yoke's effect!" Cole declared as Lead Yoke's chains shattered entirely, releasing the boxer from his restraints **[****3800****/2200/R4/0ORU]**. "And the Overlay Unit I detached was Glassjaw, so I'll add Switchitter from my Graveyard to my hand."

Alyssa continued to think. _"He has two Traps. One of them is Accel Footwork, I'm sure. I could use Speed World 2's effect to destroy Lead Yoke, and that might be my only way to do that now. But that other Trap, what is it? If it can give Lead Yoke an Overlay Unit, then he could use that to make it even stronger. There has to be a way around this. And I have to end this quickly, or he'll use that Switchitter to get another Rank 4. Wait."_

She checked her Graveyard, remembering something. _"Yes. This is it!"_

"I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" She made two draws, discarding Sylvan Guardioak. "Now, since a Sylvan went to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Sylvan Sagequoia from my hand!" A large tree appeared, reminiscent of Hermitree, but thinner with deep green foliage, a mustache and small glasses **[****2600****/2100/L7]**. "Next, I activate Breakthrough Skill's effect from my Graveyard."

"From your Graveyard?" Cole echoed.

"Didn't you know?" Alyssa asked. "Breakthrough Skill has two effects, and the second effect can be activated from my Graveyard on any turn except the turn it was put there. With this effect, I banish it to negate the effect of one of your monsters!"

Cole paled, realising immediately what this meant. "So you had a way to win all along."

"I negate Lead Yoke's effects!" Alyssa declared. "So its attack score resets, and now I can destroy Lead Yoke even if your face-down can give it an Overlay Unit like I expect." Lead Yoke was suddenly bound by glass chains **[****2200****/2200/R4/0ORU]**. "And next, I activate Speed World 2's final effect! By removing all ten of my Speed Counters, I destroy Lead Yoke!" Her D-Wheel immediately slowed down **[Alyssa 0SPC]** and a bolt of white light flew from it, crashing into Lead Yoke's chest and obliterating the barbarian into sparks.

Cole's shoulders slumped and he stared hopelessly at the field on his D-Wheel's console. "You win."

"I'm sorry to take down your ace like that," the Shadowchaser said. "I know it's not the way you'd like to see him beaten. But in the end, I have to do my duty. I can understand your reasons for what you did, but it's still a crime and I can't let it go."

"You don't need to lecture me," Cole replied. "I fought with my pride for my family. All I did, I did for them. Win this duel, Shadowchaser. I'll accept my punishment."

Alyssa nodded solemnly. "Sagequoia, Flowerknight, attack directly." Sagequoia fired a volley of bladed leaves from its canopy, before Flowerknight lunged to end the duel with a thrust of her sword.

**Alyssa 4400LP, 0SPC/Cole 0LP, 3SPC**

The two D-Wheels came to a stop. They were on a deserted road leaving the city, with no cars or pedestrians in sight. Alyssa dismounted her D-Wheel and walked the few feet ahead to Cole's.

The half-orc was holding Lead Yoke's card as she approached, looking at the bound barbarian with a wistful smile. "I won duels in that underground, you know," he said. "With Lead Yoke, I beat them all. I felt so proud. So glad I was helping my family. And then that scumbag cheated me out of what he'd promised me, claimed I'd violated some agreement in our contract. I didn't know what to do. I was so sure I hadn't left any way for him to do it, but he insisted I had. It hurt, seeing my wife worrying about it all."

Alyssa didn't say anything.

"I know that what I did was illegal," he continued. "But sometimes, what's right isn't what the law says. You know that, right? I'm certain there are situations where you'd look at someone who'd broken the law and still say they were in the right."

She considered it as she took out the faintly glowing gem. "Perhaps. I don't know if it's ever happened, but maybe there has been a time when a Shadowchaser's done that. This isn't one of those times, I'm sorry."

"I'll accept my punishment," Cole answered. "You beat me in a fair fight and I know when to submit."

Alyssa held up the gem. "You're under arrest for assault." The jewel flashed and Cole vanished, Lead Yoke's card falling from his hand to land on the D-Wheel's console. Pocketing the gem, the Shadowchaser reached out and picked up the fallen card, staring at Cole's avatar. She couldn't help but think about what he had said. Situations where someone who broke the law was in the right. She wasn't so close-minded as to think the law was absolute, but she supposed it was easy to lose sight of that fact sometimes. It made her wonder if other Shadowchasers had encountered the same. If Jalal had encountered that dilemma at some point in his long life.

Alyssa shrugged the thought aside. Right now she needed to get Cole's D-Wheel and deck to an impound where they could be stored while he was processed by the Shadowchaser judiciary, and then she needed to make up her appointment with the police sergeant.

She turned and walked back towards her D-Wheel, looking for the tow cable she always kept in case of this.

S:TE

Officer Cox glared at the clock on the wall, frowning.

"Where is she?" he murmured, turning his attention to the report on his desk. He was busy trying to complete his account of what had happened with Ryan the night before.

"Something wrong?" Bennett asked, stopping beside his elder.

"The woman I'm meant to be meeting is late," Cox sighed. "Sorry, Bennett, I have to wait for her. Can you handle patrol on your own?"

Bennett frowned. "The chief inspector's not going to like that."

"I'll explain to him," the other man answered apologetically. "All you need to do is go and make sure that young man's okay and that nothing's happened overnight."

"Okay, if you're sure," Bennett replied. "Hope this woman turns up soon. See you later."

"See you later, Bennett." Cox watched his partner leave thoughtfully, before returning his attention to the clock.

S:TE

Card Stats:

Speed World 2  
Field Spell Card  
Art: A racetrack leading towards a bright light, with rings of energy surrounding the track.  
Both players may have a copy of this card active at once. This card cannot be removed from the field. If a player activates a non-"Speed Spell" Spell Card, they take 2000 damage. Except during the first turn of the Duel, during each Standby Phase, put 1 Speed Counter on this card (max 12). You can remove any number of Speed Counters from this card to activate an appropriate effect:  
*4: Reveal any number of "Speed Spell" Spell Cards in your hand, and inflict 800 damage to your opponent for each card revealed.  
*7: Draw 1 card.  
*10: Destroy 1 card on the field.

(Speed World 2 was first used by Ushio in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's anime episode 'A New Threat'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the anime.)

Speed Spell – Angel Baton  
Normal Spell Card  
Image: A blue-clad angel cupping a glowing crystal in her hands.  
Activate only if you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw 2 cards, then send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard.

(Speed Spell – Angel Baton was first used by Yusei in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's special 'Evolving Duel! Stardust vs. Red Demons'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the anime.)

Speed Spell – Recovery  
Normal Spell Card  
Art: A truck towing away a car which has clearly been in a crash.  
Activate only if you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Target 1 monster in your Graveyard with a Level equal to or lower than your Speed Counters, and put that target on top of your deck.

Speed Spell – Rapid Excavation  
Normal Spell Card  
Art: A drill digging into the ground at high speed.  
Activate only if you have 6 or more Speed Counters. Excavate the top three cards of your deck, add one of them to your hand, then put the rest into your Graveyard. You can only activate 1 "Speed Spell – Rapid Excavation" per turn.

Xyz Flame  
Normal Trap Card  
Art: Evolzar Dolkka blasting a duelist with a stream of flames.  
Detach 1 Xyz Material from an Xyz Monster you control; Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.

(The above three cards are my own inventions.)

Accel Footwork  
Counter Trap Card  
Art: Battlin' Boxer Headgeared racing backwards from an explosion.  
During the Battle Phase, when a Trap Card is activated: Negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. When an opponent's Trap Card is activated, if you control a "Battlin' Boxer" monster: Add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.

(Accel Footwork was first used by Alito in the Yu-Gi-Oh ZeXal anime episode 'A Fierce-Attack One-on-One Battle! Yuma vs. The Indomitable Fighter Alito'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the anime.)

Speed Spell – Sonic Buster  
Normal Spell Card  
Art: A monster blasting a duelist with waves of sonic force.  
Activate only if you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Target 1 face-up monster you control, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of the target's ATK.

(Speed Spell – Sonic Buster was first used by Ushio in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's anime episode 'Escape! Nitro Warrior vs. Goyo Guardian'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the anime.)

Xyz Drop  
Normal Trap Card  
Art: Two droplets of water within a bright void.  
Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster on the field; Attach this card to it as an Xyz Material.

(Xyz Drop was first used by Shark in the Yu-Gi-Oh ZeXal manga Rank 'Messenger from the Moon!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the manga.)

S:TE

_Next time, as Cox and Alyssa meet for the first time in ten years, Ryan turns up to meet Bennett with his girlfriend in tow, only to be suddenly forced into a serious Duel out of the blue. Can he win the Duel to protect both himself and Leanne?_

_Duel 3 is Mark of the Rose!_


	3. Duel 3: Mark of the Rose

Duel 3: Mark of the Rose

Bennett pulled up outside the house where he and Cox had dropped off Ryan the night before. As he left the squad car, he paused. It felt for a second like something was watching him, but he shrugged the feeling off as he slid his Duel Disk onto his arm. It was a standard issue police model, designed more for efficiency than anything else, and so it was plain and uninteresting.

"What is that guy going on about?" he wondered aloud. "What is there that we're not meant to deal with here?"

Shaking his head, he walked up the path to the front door and knocked on it. Once more he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but there was still nothing, and the sensation was forgotten as the door opened. Ryan's mother greeted him, a warm-faced woman with her son's brown hair.

"Officer Bennett, it's good to see you."

"Thank you," Bennett smiled. "I was just here to check up on Ryan."

She frowned. "I'm sorry, he's gone out. If you want, I can call him and get him to come back."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you," he said. "Can't leave without making sure he's okay, Cox wouldn't like that." He chuckled.

"Where is Officer Cox, anyway? From how he acted last night, I'd have thought he'd want to be here."

"He's busy, so I came on my own," Bennett replied. "It's kind of refreshing not to have the old guy watching me like a hawk, to be honest. Bit of freedom never hurt."

"Well, it's good to see you getting some experience," she said cordially as she dialled a number into her phone.

As she spoke to her son, Bennett looked at the neighbourhood. It was a bright, cheerful-seeming suburb, warm and friendly in the sunlight, much like the woman he talked to. He was sure it was a pleasant place to live. Dull, perhaps, but pleasant. He could tell that Cox liked it, and somehow, he felt like his superior was unhappy about what had happened to Ryan. Cox wouldn't say anything about it, but the way he talked about the woman he was due to meet made it clear that something made him uncomfortable.

If only he could figure out what it was.

"Ryan's on his way back now," the woman in the house said, snapping him from his thoughts. "If you want to hang around, I could get you a cup of tea or something."

Bennett smiled. "I don't drink tea, sorry. I'd love a coffee though, if that's alright."

"It's the least I can do for you when you got my boy home safely. He says he'll be about fifteen minutes or so, he was just visiting his girlfriend."

"Uh-huh," he replied. "Well, I can wait."

"I'll get you that coffee." She bustled back inside, leaving Bennett. After a moment of looking around the street, he walked back to the car. Just as he was about to leave the small front garden, he stopped. He felt like he was being watched again. Warily, he looked back, but there was nothing but the garden and the front door of the house. Shrugging, he turned back to the car and took a step through the gate.

Something stabbed into Bennett's neck and he opened his mouth to gasp in pain, but somehow the gasp never came. He felt like honey was trickling through his veins, warm, soothing and gentle, yet somehow insidious. His mind tried to rebel against the sensation, but it was inexorable, overwhelming his struggles. He tried to move his hands to see what had dug into his skin, but they refused to obey. He couldn't feel his body anymore. Had something severed his spine? He had heard this was what paralysis felt like, and yet he couldn't believe it was that, the pain he had felt was more like a pinprick then a wound of that magnitude. It reminded him of when he was younger, how he had once caught his thumb on a rose's thorn.

His eyes closed for a brief instant as darkness overwhelmed him, and when they opened again, it wasn't Officer Bennett in control. The thing which now wore his body smiled and continued to the car, awaiting its prey.

S:TE

Cox looked up as someone knocked at his office's door, seeing a junior officer whose name he hadn't managed to remember yet.

"Someone here to see you, Cox," the man said. "She says she's from the… 'Shadowchasers', I think it was?"

He nodded. "Yes, that's fine, let her through." As the younger man left to get her, Cox glanced at the clock. The woman was half an hour late.

She walked into his office and Cox was stunned for a moment. It wasn't anything about how she walked in, though the confidence she exuded was clear and she was obviously used to operating by her own rules. It was her face which did it. When he saw her face and compared it to the one he remembered from a decade earlier, there was no difference. While he was sure he had visibly aged, Alyssa looked like she had been frozen in time, untouched by age at all. Once more Cox was reminded that while sometimes the parts of the Shadowchasers' world which scared him were overt and obvious, other times, it was more subtle things which unnerved him.

"So you're Officer Cox," Alyssa said. He wondered what she thought of him. Just as he had noticed her lack of visible aging, did she see a man who was clearly older than the one who had faced the werewolf?

"And you're Alyssa," he replied.

Clearly not one to waste time with pleasantries, Alyssa immediately continued. "What happened to the boy and where is he now?"

"He was attacked last night. The initial assumption was a mugging which was foiled by the public, but I'm not so certain," Cox replied. "The attacker has a different motive. That's why I think Ryan's the only one at risk. Whoever this Shadowkind attacker is, he's not looking for money or just for cheap thrills."

"Then what does he want?"

Cox looked at his desk, frowning as he recalled what Ryan had said about the attacker the night before. "He wants something from Ryan. Something only Ryan can give him. I can't fathom what, but he seems to believe Ryan's stolen his life."

Alyssa considered this. Her duel with Cole was still fresh in her mind and it reminded her of one of the things she had been taught by her mentor. Be wary of first impressions. They can be misleading and drive you to a false conclusion.

"Are you sure you're looking in the right place?" she asked. "There are Shadowkind who can imitate appearances."

Cox was already shaking his head. "If that boy was a Shadowkind criminal, he should go into film, because he's a damned good actor. You can't fake being as afraid and shaken as he was. He's innocent. I'm sure of it. I don't know how long you've been in the business, but I've done this for twenty-five years now."

Alyssa nodded, and once more he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Either way, we should go and question him," she said. "I can ask more specific questions, try and tease out some more details. Do you know where he is?"

"He should be at his house. Bennett, my partner, he's already gone over to check up on Ryan," Cox explained.

"Lead the way and I can follow on my D-Wheel," Alyssa replied. "If you're right about this attacker just wanting Ryan, we should make sure he's not left alone."

Cox nodded. "That I can agree with." He got up from the desk, retrieving his cap and Duel Disk. "I hope Bennett's getting on okay."

S:TE

The two of them walked by the riverside in the sunshine, content as they strolled hand-in-hand. The breeze was cool on their skin as they walked.

Ryan trailed his hand along the railing separating them from the river as he and Leanne strode up the path. The feeling of her hand in his own made him feel warm and safe, as though the night before and all his fears were a thousand miles away. He looked at her and the sight of her smile was a comfort, driving the shadows further away.

"I'm sorry I worried you," he said for the tenth time.

"No, never be sorry about that," Leanne replied. "You should never be sorry about that. I worry because I care, Ryan. I'm glad you're okay."

"I am too." He didn't speak for a while more and a group of ducks sailed by on the river. "You don't have to come with me for this if you don't want to."

"I do, don't worry. I want to make sure you're okay," she smiled. "And besides, I love being with you."

"I love being with you too." They left the path, heading up some stairs under the trees. Passing a group of laughing teenagers on the way up, they emerged into the suburbs where Ryan lived, still holding hands as they navigated the streets.

"I'm scared, Leanne," Ryan confessed quietly. They stopped. There was no one around them, just birdsong and sunlight. "Whoever that guy who attacked me was… what if he comes after me again? What if he hurts me more? What if-"

"Don't think about that," she whispered, turning to him and looking at him with those warm, beautiful eyes. "I love you, Ryan. If you're scared, then so am I. And I won't let him get to you. I won't let him hurt you. Remember when we first met? I saw you and saw how upset you were and I wanted you to be okay. I still want that." She rested her free hand on his cheek lightly, and the sensation of her fingertips on his skin made his heart flutter. Staring into her eyes, he felt surrounded by her love, as though she had become a shield separating him from all the terrible things in the world. "Your mum, your dad, the police, me. We're all going to protect you from that maniac. I swear, you'll be safe."

"Thank you."

"You don't ever have to," Leanne said, smiling. She leaned in and they kissed for a single shining moment, banishing the world, obliterating the fear for that beautiful instant. Then they separated and the world came back, but he still felt calm and reassured by her love and her promise. "Let's go and meet that police officer. I'm sure they'll sort something out." She squeezed his hand tightly and led him onwards through the streets. The familiar roads, her hand in his, and the brilliant sunshine all made Ryan feel more reassured and safe. They passed through a leafy, tree-covered passage and emerged into the road he knew as home. A police car sat outside his house, promising safety.

Then he saw the man stood at the gate. Officer Bennett was there, drinking from the sunflower-pattern cup Ryan had bought his mum for her birthday several years back. The sight of the officer should have reassured him even more, but something felt wrong.

"What's wrong?" Leanne asked. He must have stiffened or given some other sign that something was up.

"I don't know," he replied quietly. He stared at Bennett, trying to discern what was wrong. He couldn't see anything, but some sixth sense from within was there, warning him.

"Ryan," Bennett called. "It's good to see you."

"He's one of the guys who brought you home last night, right?" Leanne asked.

"He is, but…" His voice trailed off as Bennett set down the cup. In that instant, he picked out something. The way the man moved was wrong, sluggish, as though he were drugged. Bennett advanced.

"What's wrong?" he called out. "It's just me, Officer Bennett."

Ryan tensed and took a step backwards. Leanne looked at him, confused.

"What is it, Ryan? He's a police officer."

"It's not him," Ryan whispered. "He's not right."

Bennett's smile wavered and even the change in expression was sluggish. Ryan wondered how Leanne couldn't see it the way he could. As Bennett got closer, he noticed a mark on the man's neck he was sure hadn't been there before. He couldn't see it clearly, however.

"What do you mean, not right?" Leanne asked.

"Come with me, Ryan," Bennett said. "I just want to ask you a few questions. I'm a police officer. It'll be okay." He held out a hand, and now he was close enough for Ryan to see that his veins were a sickly black rather than the blue they should have been. He looked up into Bennett's eyes and the blood vessels were black, as though something had replaced the man's blood with ink. He didn't know what was capable of doing that, but it terrified him.

"Get away from me!"

The officer's smile broke like glass, replaced by a vicious look. "So you can see it. I wondered if that incident would be enough."

"What are you? You're not Officer Bennett!" Ryan cried.

"But he's… what are you talking about, Ryan?" He looked at Leanne desperately, but he could tell her confusion was genuine. She couldn't see the signs he could see. Somehow, her senses were blind to what had happened to Bennett.

"You can run," Bennett said. "But I'll find you." He reached out with that terrible black-veined hand to grab Ryan. Now Leanne seemed to realise something was wrong.

"What are you doing?" she cried, and moved to stand between Bennett and Ryan. The officer's smile returned, but distorted and menacing. He whispered something in words Ryan didn't understand and suddenly there was something sharp and black in his hand. Before anyone could react, he stabbed it into Leanne's neck, burying it into the skin, and after a second, she crumpled like a puppet with cut strings.

"Leanne!" Ryan fell to her side immediately, seeing the barb buried in her neck, and the blackness already beginning to spread from it into her veins. "What are you? What have you done to her?"

"Right now, I've done nothing," Bennett replied. "Come with me, boy."

"Not until she's okay!"

Bennett sighed. "She's nothing."

For a moment, Ryan's fear gave way to rage. "No! She's beautiful, and special, and if you don't help her, I'll make you!"

"Make me?" the officer laughed. He looked down at the Duel Disk on his arm, then to Ryan's own Disk. "If you insist, I suppose I can indulge you." He held up the Disk.

"You want to duel me when you've poisoned her?" Ryan cried.

"If you continue wasting time like this, then I'll gladly let you watch it do its work," Bennett smirked. "And then I'll drag you away. I'll indulge your feelings. If you can beat me in a duel, then I'll heal her. But if I win, you'll come with me without a struggle."

Ryan stared at him. "You're sick."

"Are you going to accept my challenge, or are we going to watch the thorn do its work?"

Ryan stared helplessly at his fallen girlfriend. Gasps and moans passed her lips and sweat was beginning to bead her forehead, the blackness spreading across her veins. He rested his hand on her neck and her skin felt hot to the touch, like whatever the black fluid in her veins was, it was burning her up from the inside. He could feel tears in his eyes, but he desperately brushed them away. This wasn't the time to cry.

"I'm going to beat you."

He rose and met Bennett's gaze. Fear threatened to paralyze him, but he forced himself to stand.

"Then, come," Bennett said, raised a hand. Another of the dark barbs appeared in and he threw it down between them. Instantly, the world was blotted out like a tide of ink had swept across it, washing it away and replacing it with an expanse of twisted, thorny vines. The thorns were almost identical to the black barb which pierced Leanne's neck, and just seeing them made Ryan shudder. They stood in a clearing amidst the endless thorns, under trees which blotted out any sky with their dark canopies. Leanne lay to the side, just beside the thorns, unmoving but clearly afflicted by the barb in her neck.

With trembling hands, Ryan slid his deck into his Duel Disk. Leanne had helped him build this deck. She had encouraged him and aided him, finding cards for him. It belonged as much to her effort as it did to his. Now he would use the deck she had helped him build to save her.

Bennett activated his Duel Disk with that cruel smile. "I'll be interested to know what this is like. You've invented quite the fascinating form of combat."

On any other day, Ryan would have been puzzled by how Bennett spoke, but in that moment, he was too distracted by Leanne and his anger to focus on that. He activated his own Disk, tearing five cards from his deck. Bennett drew each card one-by-one, reading them as though he was barely familiar with them.

"Now, what do you say," the officer said with twisted glee. "Ah, yes. It's time to duel!" The Duel Disks hummed into life and the game began.

**Ryan 8000LP/Bennett 8000LP**

"I draw!" Bennett declared, taking the first turn without any discussion. He studied his hand, then delicately plucked a card from it and played it with the air of a child experimenting with some complex toy. "I summon Cyber Dragon Core!"

Electricity crackled in the air before him as crystalline light burst, forming into sleek metal. A silver dragon the size of a man arose, numerous red wires flowing from its metallic carapace, a glowing red core set into its serpentine body. Its eyes were small red slits which glared at Ryan as it gave a grating metallic shriek **[****400****/1500/L2]**. "When I Normal Summon Cyber Dragon Core, I add a Cyber Spell or Trap Card from my deck to my hand, like Cyber Network." The named card slipped from his deck and he took it as the disk's autoshuffler whirred.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn!" The reversed card appeared behind Cyber Dragon Core.

**Ryan 8000LP/Bennett 8000LP**

"I draw," Ryan said. _"Leanne, I swear I'll save you!" _He stared at his hand. Going second in this situation seemed like a detriment and he knew it.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn."

**Ryan 8000LP/Bennett 8000LP**

"If that's all you can do, this won't take long," Bennett taunted as he made a draw. "I activate my Trap Card, Cyber Network. This card remains on my field until my third Standby Phase after I activate it, and with its effect, so long as I control a Cyber Dragon, I can banish a LIGHT Machine-Type from my deck once a turn." He paused as though expecting Ryan to object.

"I know how Cyber Dragons work," Ryan replied.

"Then I banish a Cyber Dragon Zwei from my deck," Bennett said. "And then I'll attack directly with my Core!" The prototype Cyber Dragon shrieked, breathing an arc of crimson lightning which struck Ryan full in the chest. He cried out as it knocked him flying back, hitting him far harder than any Solid Vision he'd ever experienced.

**[Ryan 7600LP]**

"I activate Ghostrick Mary's effect from my hand!" he answered as he rose. "When I take damage, I can discard Mary to Special Summon a Ghostrick from my deck face-down!" He discarded the card and took another from his deck, setting it. A reversed monster appeared before him.

"I end my turn," Bennett concluded. "You're going to regret challenging me."

**Ryan 7600LP/Bennett 8000LP**

"I draw!" Ryan answered. "I Flip-Summon my Ghostrick Stein!" The face-down card in front of him flipped over and a large monster appeared before him. It resembled the Halloween depiction of Frankenstein's monster, grey-skinned with bolts in the sides of its neck, wearing a formal red jacket and immensely muscular. Yet rather than scary, the creature appeared almost cute, strange as it seemed **[****1600****/0/L3]**.

"Ghostrick?" Bennett questioned.

"They're my monsters," Ryan replied. "At first they seem like they're meant to be scary, but they mean well and they're shy. Like…" He looked at Leanne and the memory of when they first met came back. Well, now it was his turn to do something for her. "I summon Ghostrick Witch!" There was a girlish laugh and a monster appeared beside Stein, a cute blonde-haired girl wearing a black witch's outfit. She brandished a broom which was decorated with stars, laughing playfully **[****1200****/200/L2]**.

"You had that monster in your hand last turn, so why didn't you summon it?"

"My Ghostrick monsters are shy, like I said," he explained. "They don't want to face the scary outside world without their friends there. So I can't Normal Summon them unless I already have a Ghostrick monster on the field." He was silent for a moment, then he glared at Bennett with new resolve. "Ghostrick Witch, destroy Cyber Dragon Core! _Trick Stars_!"

Smiling at him, Ghostrick Witch raised her broom and cast a barrage of paper stars over the field. Despite their nature, the stars sliced clean through Cyber Dragon Core, making the creature explode into slag. Bennett was propelled back by the force of the explosion, landing on his feet regardless.

**[Bennett 7200LP]**

"Ghostrick Stein, attack him directly!" Ryan continued. "_Lightning Punch_!" Laughing jollily, Stein raised a hand and a bolt of lightning pierced the canopy to crash into his fist, wreathing it in a field of sparks. The hulking monster lunged and crashed his sparking fist into Bennett's chest, hurling the man away.

**[Bennett 5600LP]**

"With Stein's effect, when he deals damage to my opponent, I add a Ghostrick Spell or Trap from my deck to my hand!" He took a card from his deck. "I don't like this world you've put us in. I don't know who you are, what you've done to Officer Bennett. And I don't know what you've done to Leanne. But I will win this duel and save her. It's time we fought on my home ground." The Field slot of his Disk snapped open as he held up the card. "I activate the Field Spell Card, Ghostrick Mansion!"

The clearing disappeared around them, replaced by a dark, dusty old house. Cobwebs stretched across the ceilings, though any spiders were out of sight. Moonlight shone in through windows framed by ancient curtains and in the centre of the room was a large table bearing a white tablecloth and several candlesticks. Ryan's two Ghostrick monsters immediately perked up at being in the mansion, smiling.

"What does this do?" Bennett asked, more irritated by the field than anything else.

"You'll have to see," Ryan replied. "I wouldn't be a good performer if I gave myself away too fast." Saying the words brought a memory back.

"_I'm going to win," Ryan said. Opposite, Leanne smiled._

"_How are you going to do that?"_

"_I wouldn't be a good performer if I let the cat out of the bag that fast," he laughed in answer, and the audience smiled as he prepared to make his final moves._

"I activate Stein and Witch's effects," he continued, more sombre now. "Once per turn, they can set themselves face-down." The two monsters immediately faded away, replaced by set cards. "I end my turn."

**Ryan 7600LP/Bennett 5600LP**

"I draw!" Bennett announced. "I activate Cyber Dragon Core's effect from my Graveyard. If I have no monsters while you have a monster, I can banish Core to Special Summon a Cyber Dragon monster from my deck." He pocketed the card, smirking as he took another from his deck. "Come! Cyber Dragon!"

There was a flash like a controlled bolt of lightning, and the creature rose with a fearsome metallic shriek. It was a sleek serpentine dragon made of metal, electricity crackling in its jaws as its golden eyes glared over the field **[****2100****/1600/L5]**.

"Since I now have a Cyber Dragon on the field, I'll use Cyber Network to banish another Cyber Dragon from my deck," he continued. "And I summon Cyber Dragon Zwei!" With another crackle of electricity, a new variant of the Cyber Dragon appeared, this one between Core and the original in size, decorated with golden markings and an arrow-shaped head **[****1500****/1000/L4]**. "Now, Cyber Dragon, destroy his face-down Ghostrick Stein!"

The Cyber Dragon reared back as though preparing to strike, only to pause and look around as the face-down card vanished.

"It won't be so easy to attack the Ghostricks on their home ground," Ryan said, smiling despite the situation at the playfulness of his monsters. "While Ghostrick Mansion is in play, face-down monsters can't be attacked, but if all the monsters a player has are face-down, then their opponent can attack them directly."

"Attack!" Bennett barked. Cyber Dragon roared, unleashing a stream of cobalt lightning from its jaws which hurled Ryan back into an antique chair. He winced as he rose.

**[Ryan 6550LP]**

"With Mansion's other effect," he continued. "All damage a player takes that isn't battle damage from a Ghostrick is halved."

"Zwei, attack directly!" The second Cyber Dragon unleashed its crackling breath weapon and Ryan was knocked staggering back.

**[Ryan 5800LP]**

"It's almost like you're afraid to let your monsters get hurt," Bennett said. "How pitiful."

"Say what you like. I'll win my way," Ryan answered.

The police officer sneered. "I end my turn."

**Ryan 5800LP/Bennett 5600LP**

"I draw." Ryan looked over at Leanne. It was clear that her condition was worsening, he could pick out the dark veins on her skin and she was trembling. He had to win fast.

"I Flip-Summon Ghostrick Stein and Ghostrick Witch!" The two appeared instantly, laughing **[****1600****/0/L3] [****1200****/200/L2]**. "Now, I summon Ghostrick Warwolf!" There was a howl and a werewolf appeared before him, brown-furred with large claws, yet just as cartoony as the other Ghostrick monsters **[****1400****/1500/L3]**.

"None of your monsters can defeat Cyber Dragon," Bennett pointed out.

"This game isn't just about strength," Ryan answered. "If I can't win in a head-on fight, I'll find a way around it. Ghostrick Witch's effect! Once per turn, I can turn one of my opponent's monsters face-down!" Ghostrick Witch chuckled, waving her broomstick. Sparkles flew around Cyber Dragon, before it faded and was replaced by a set card. "Ghostrick Stein, destroy Cyber Dragon Zwei! _Lightning Punch_!" Raising a crackling fist, Stein lunged forwards and punched Cyber Dragon Zwei. The metallic dragon exploded.

**[Bennett 5500LP]**

As Ryan took a card from his deck due to Stein's effect, Bennett stared at the Ghostrick monsters and laughed. "What a fight you're putting up for a shadow!" he jeered.

"A shadow… what do you mean?"

"Wouldn't you love to know?" the officer sneered.

"Witch, Warwolf, attack directly! _Trick Stars_! _Scare Claws_!" The two monsters attacked, Witch bombarding Bennett with paper stars, Warwolf racing forwards and slashing with its claws.

**[Bennett 2900LP]**

"I use my monsters' effects to set them," Ryan declared, the three vanishing into the shadows. "Then, I set this and end my turn. I don't know who you are or what you're talking about or what you want. I don't care about those things. All I care about is winning this duel so I can save Leanne."

**Ryan 5800LP/Bennett 2900LP**

"I… draw!" Bennett growled. The thing possessing him was making its influence clearer, his dark veins were more stark against his flesh and his eyes flared with baleful light. "You're pathetic. Not even a true being, just a fake! I Flip-Summon Cyber Dragon!" Roaring, the metallic dragon appeared once again **[****2100****/1600/L5]**. "Now, I activate Magic Planter, sending a Continuous Trap on my field to the Graveyard to draw two cards!" Thorny vines rose up and crushed his Cyber Network card into motes as he drew twice. "Cyber Network's final effect! When it goes from my field to my Graveyard, I Special Summon as many of my banished LIGHT Machine monsters as I can! Appear before me!" There was a blinding flash of light and instantly Cyber Dragon Core **[****400****/1500/L2]**, Cyber Dragon Zwei **[1500/****1000****/L4] **and an original Cyber Dragon **[****2100****/1600/L5] **took shape.

"Three monsters just like that?"

"Luckily for you, Cyber Network stops me from activing their effects or attacking this turn," Bennett declared. "But it won't stop this! I summon Cyber Dragon Drei!" He threw down a card and a new Cyber Dragon appeared in an arc of crackling lightning, sleek except for jagged fins and a speartip head. Lines of golden light sparked across its body as it lashed a bladed tail **[****1800****/800/L4]**. "I activate Drei's effect, when it's Normal Summoned, I can make all of my Cyber Dragons Level 5! And due to their effects, Core and Drei are Cyber Dragons too!" The two glowed with light as their Levels raised. "Let me show you the power of this Cyber Dragon deck! I Overlay my Level 5 Cyber Dragon Core and Cyber Dragon Drei! I construct an Overlay Network with these two monsters!"

The two transformed into crackling arcs of golden lightning and spiralled into the sky, crashing down into the Xyz Summon portal and exploding into a maelstrom of sparks and lightning which raged furiously. A red light appeared at its heart, shining balefully.

"_Xyz Summon! Rise! Cyber… Dragon… __**Nova**__!" _Bennett roared.

The storm burst and his monster emerged. It was even more advanced than the two Cyber Dragons he still had, sleek and made of metal. Its silver body was trimmed in black, and red lines flared across the metal as it roared. At its heart burned a core of crimson energy which shone like a malevolent supernova, giving power to the immense beast which rose higher than even its fellow dragons. Lashing a tail coated by crimson laser blades, Cyber Dragon Nova gave a fearsome roar and spread its immense wings. A hellish glow illuminated its throat and blazed in its eyes as it glared down at Ryan **[****2100****/1600/R5/2ORU]**.

"I can't attack this turn due to Cyber Network, but I still have all these cards in my hand to use," Bennett sneered. "I activate the Spell Card, Evolution Burst! With this, if I have a Cyber Dragon on my field, I can destroy any card on your field! Destroy the Mansion!" One of his Cyber Dragons reared back and breathed a stream of lightning.

"I activate my Trap Card," Ryan answered. "Ghostrick Vanish! I reveal a Ghostrick in my hand, like Ghostrick Specter, and in return, my Ghostrick cards and face-down cards can't be targeted or destroyed by card effects this turn!" Laughing, the spectre of a pallid white cartoonish vampire rose up over his field, deflecting the lightning with a wave of one hand before disappearing.

Bennett just threw another card into his Duel Disk. "I set a card and end my turn!"

**Ryan 5800LP/Bennett 2900LP**

As Ryan silently drew, he looked at Leanne again.

"_I love you. I swear I love you. And that means I can't not win this. I won't see this creep do this. I won't let him win, not when it means letting you get hurt."_

"I set a monster and this face-down!" he called. "Now, I Flip-Summon Ghostrick Warwolf!" Howling, the werewolf reappeared **[****1400****/1500/L3]**. "When I flip Warwolf face-up, you take 100 damage for each set card on the field! _Dark Howling_!" Shadows coiled around the six set cards and Warwolf howled, unleashing a dark volley which ripped over Bennett.

**[Bennett 2600LP]**

"Next, I use Warwolf's effect to set him again." Warwolf disappeared once more, fading into the shadows. "I end my turn."

"Reduced to making pitiful jabs now?" Bennett smirked. "I knew you couldn't beat me."

"I will win this duel," Ryan declared. "For Leanne's sake!"

**Ryan 5800LP/Bennett 2600LP**

"That again," Bennett mused. "You humans and your emotions. I still don't understand them." He made a draw. "I'll just crush your feelings and carry on with my mission."

"You can't crush my feelings," the boy answered. "Feelings this strong can't be trampled like insects!"

"I activate the effect of my Cyber Dragon Nova," the officer declared. "By detaching 1 Xyz Material, I target and revive a Cyber Dragon from my Graveyard!" One of the dragon's golden Overlay Units flew into its blazing core **[****2100****/1600/R5/1ORU]**. "Be reborn, Cyber Dragon Drei!" With an electronic howl, Cyber Dragon Drei reformed **[****1800****/800/L4]**. "Even if I can only attack you directly at halved damage, I can still hit you for most of your Life Points in damage with this one round of attacks. In fact, I'll finish you here! I switch Zwei to attack mode! Attack, Cyber Dragon Zwei!" With a snarl, Zwei unleashed its breath of lightning.

"I activate my Trap Card!" Ryan retorted. "This will decide it! Ghostrick Scare! With this Trap Card, I flip over all of my set monsters, and for each that's a Ghostrick, I set one of your monsters!"

Bennett's eyes widened. "But with that… no! Trap open! Seven Tools of the Bandit! I pay 1000 Life Points to negate and destroy your Trap!"

**[Bennett 1600LP]**

Ryan stared in shock as the Counter Trap activated, preventing his Ghostrick Scare from resolving. Unimpeded by the Trap, Zwei's attack continued, slamming into Ryan's chest.

**[Ryan 5050LP]**

"Next, Cyber Dragon Drei!" The next Cyber Dragon unleashed its attack.

**[Ryan 4150LP]**

"Cyber Dragon!"

**[Ryan 3100LP]**

"My second Cyber Dragon!" Another bolt of lightning lanced into Ryan's chest, forcing him to his knees in pain.

**[Ryan 2050LP]**

"You only have one attack left… and Nova's not strong enough to finish it. If you had Limiter Removal, you'd have used it by now," Ryan answered.

Bennett laughed cruelly. "Limiter Removal? I don't need that to finish this. Cyber Dragon Nova attacks! And as it does, I activate its second effect!"

"It has another effect?!"

"With Nova's second effect, I banish another Cyber Dragon from my hand or field!" Cyber Dragon Drei screamed as it was blown to red motes which soaked into Cyber Dragon Nova. "And with that done, Cyber Dragon Nova gets 2100 attack points for this turn! _Nova Overcharge_!" The dragon roared as crimson lightning tore over its body, empowering it to an incredible extreme **[****4200****/1600/R5/1ORU]**.

"4200," Ryan whispered, gritting his teeth.

"It finishes here," Bennett retorted. "End this now! _Evolution Burst Nova_!" Cyber Dragon Nova breathed a stream of raging crimson energies from its maw, the tide of destruction lancing towards Ryan like a god's mighty spear. If it hit, it would end the duel in an instant even with Ghostrick Mansion's ability to halve the damage.

"I activate Ghostrick Jackfrost's effect from my hand!" He held up the card. "With this effect, when my opponent's monster declares a direct attack, I can turn it face-down and Special Summon Jackfrost from my hand in face-down defense mode!"

Bennett stared in shock as his dragon was suddenly encased in ice, fading into a face-down card as a similar set card appeared on Ryan's field. Cyber Dragon Nova's attack dissipated just short of its intended target, and Ryan sighed in relief.

"I still have my other dragons face-up!" Bennett snapped in retort. "And if I have so much as one face-up monster, you can't attack me directly! I end my turn!"

**Ryan 2050LP/Bennett 1600LP**

"My turn," Ryan declared. "I Flip-Summon Ghostrick Warwolf!" With a howl, the werewolf appeared before him once more **[****1400****/1500/L3]**. "_Dark Howling_!" The werewolf blasted Bennett with its dark roar once again.

**[Bennett 1300LP]**

"Now, I Flip-Summon my other Ghostrick monsters!" They all appeared, laughing and smiling. Witch and Stein joined by a bedsheet ghost and a snowman in a scarf and woolly hat **[****1600****/0/L3] [****1200****/200/L2] [****600****/0/L1] [****800****/100/L1]**.

"An army of weaklings with not a Tuner monster amongst them," Bennett jeered. "What can you possibly do now?"

"I use Witch's effect to turn one of your Cyber Dragons face-down," Ryan declared. "This duel is mine, right here." Witch cast her spell and one of the Cyber Dragons was replaced by a face-down card. "Now, Specter, Jackfrost, let's bring our knight in shining armor out to save Leanne." The two nodded, smiling. "I Overlay my Level 1 Specter and Jackfrost! I construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters!"

The two transformed into dark orbs, flying skywards before shooting down into the Overlay Network. _"Headless knight who haunts in the darkness, come into the light and draw your sword once more!" _Ryan chanted. _"Xyz Summon!"_

The network detonated into shadows and coalesced again. A dark figure rose up, a black-armored knight carrying his helmet under one arm. But where his head should have been, there was nothing but empty air. Drawing his sword and brandishing it, the knight spurred his steed and the white horse cantered onto the battlefield **[****1000****/0/R2/2ORU]**. _"Ghostrick Dullahan!"_

"So your answer is a mere Rank 1?" Bennett said, unable to disguise his contempt and mockery.

"I don't like to make monsters fight monsters," Ryan murmured. "I don't like to see that pain. That's why I try to fight by other means. But if I have to do it for this, then I will! Ghostrick Dullahan's effect! He gains 200 attack points for every single Ghostrick card on my field, including himself!" An aura of shadows blazed around the headless horseman, making him stand more proudly **[****2000****/0/R2/2ORU]**.

"You're still 100 points short of my Cyber Dragon!"

"Is that so?" the boy said. "Dullahan's second effect! I detach one Overlay Unit, and in return, one of your monsters has its attack score halved for this turn!"

Bennett looked stunned. "What?"

One of Dullahan's Overlay Units shattered against his sword, before he made a slash with it and sent a dark wave crashing into the remaining Cyber Dragon **[****1050****/1600/L5]**. "Ghostrick Stein, destroy Cyber Dragon Zwei! _Lightning Punch_!" Stein lumbered forwards and dispatched Cyber Dragon Zwei with his crackling punch.

**[Bennett 1200LP]**

"Take out his Cyber Dragon, Witch! _Trick Stars_!" The paper spells raced through the air and sliced apart the Cyber Dragon in an instant. The explosion sent Bennett staggering back.

**[Bennett 1050LP]**

"No… that's not… a child beat me? A false one at that?!" the man shrieked. "This can't be!"

"Never say that," Ryan answered. "Dullahan! Let's finish this for Leanne! _Spectral Sword_!" Ghostrick Dullahan raised his sword in salute, his steed galloping over the field as a ghostly miasma formed around his sword. Evading the face-down monsters which were no barrier due to the Mansion, he struck at the stunned Bennett. The blow cut across the man's chest and hurled him back, making him crash against the room's wall with a loud thud. The horseman galloped through the wall and then returned, posing triumphantly.

**Ryan 2050LP/Bennett 0LP**

The field crumbled away around them, mansion giving way to forest of vines, and then that to the sunlight of the Bath suburb. Ryan collapsed to his knees, panting for breath, suddenly exhausted. He felt drained, as though he had been in the toughest fight of his life.

He looked at Bennett, who was now lying on his back across the road. Struggling to his feet, Ryan limped to Leanne. She still lay unconscious and her veins were still that deep black, but as he watched, the barb in her neck crumbled into nothingness and the black faded. Her whimpers ceased as the black seeped away, leaving her unconscious but seemingly fine.

"Thank god," he whispered. "Thank god…" He fell to his knees, clutching at her with sheer relief, forgetting about Bennett in his sudden joy.

Another police car pulled into the road, followed by a D-Wheel. Ryan looked up as Officer Cox left the car, racing over to them.

"What happened?" the experienced officer demanded.

"It was your partner there," Ryan said quietly, pointing at Bennett. "He went completely nuts, challenged me to a duel and…" He stopped as a second person came up behind Cox, having dismounted the D-Wheel. Holding her helmet loosely in one hand, Alyssa was bare-headed as she walked up, and Ryan was stunned. "You… your ears…"

"She's here to help, son," Cox said quietly. He looked at Alyssa. "Did you hear what he said about Bennett?"

She nodded. "Cover them. I'll take a look at him." Cox looked as though he were about to retort, but he just nodded and put himself between the two and the fallen Bennett. Alyssa walked away, and as she did so, Ryan realised she had a sword sheathed across her back. Despite the grace of her walk, it was clear that she was never too far away from her weapon's hilt should trouble arise.

"Who is she?" he asked Cox.

"She's a Shadowchaser," he replied. "I'll explain in time, since someone has to. I know Bennett. If he attacked you, something's seriously wrong. He's eager, but he's no criminal."

"Cox, get over here." Alyssa's voice was firm, and Cox sighed as he moved to obey. Despite his curiosity, Ryan didn't move, just holding Leanne and watching.

Bennett stood up with Cox's help and Ryan tensed. But then he realised that no sixth sense was screaming at him. He couldn't sense anything wrong the way he had before.

The officer opened his eyes, groaning. "What… happened…?"

"Ryan says you attacked him," Cox said grimly.

Bennett's eyes widened. "I did? But… I don't remember doing that. The last thing I remember was his mother offering me a cup of coffee."

"What?" Cox muttered.

Ryan felt a shiver pass through him. "If he doesn't remember attacking me, then what happened?"

"I've heard of this before," Alyssa muttered. "Things like this have happened before." She walked away, pursuing her lips.

"Would you like to explain?" Cox asked. "If a man I know is good attacked Ryan this way and then has no recollection of doing so, I'd like an explanation."

Alyssa turned, staring at him. "I thought you didn't want to involve yourself with this sort of thing."

Seemingly certain that Bennett could stand on his own, Cox let him go and moved to confront the Shadowchaser. "I don't want to, no. But I know my duty and I'll do it. Please, explain."

She nodded. "I will, but not here. We should get to somewhere safe."

"How is here not safe?" Ryan asked. "It's my home."

Alyssa looked only at him for the first time. He felt transfixed by her stare, shaken by how human and yet how inhuman the look was. If her ears were a giveaway of her nature, her eyes cemented that Alyssa was a mixture of the mundane and the abnormal.

"You were just attacked, and from the looks of it, the girl you have there was injured too," she said. "And the man who you say did it has no memory of doing it. In my line of work, that tends to mean bad things."

"Who are you?" Ryan asked defensively. "Why are you here?"

"I'm Alyssa Daniels," she answered. "I've been a member of the Shadowchasers for eighteen years. I've seen things you can't even imagine. And I'm here because somewhere in this city is someone who wants something from you and is willing to attack you for it."

"_Give me back my life!"_

Ryan shuddered at the memory.

"I'm here to solve this," Alyssa said. "Trust me. I'll get to the bottom of this. But first, it's clear that you deserve an explanation."

"About what?" Ryan asked.

"About everything," the Shadowchaser replied.

S:TE

_Next time, Ryan learns the truth about the world of Shadow and Shadowkind, but the same force which corrupted Bennett makes another move and this time, Cox must step up to the plate in order to fight it off._

_See him in action in Duel 4: Shadow Spell!_


End file.
